Warner Bros. confirmed that Dune: Part 2 has been delayed from its original release date this fall to March 15, 2024, and fans are not happy. Reports of a new release date began circulating weeks ago and last week some outlets got confirmation from sources inside the studio. Still, when Warner Bros. confirmed the news on Monday, many fans let their anger be heard.
Dune: Part Two wrapped filming in December of 2022 and was on schedule to premiere on Nov. 3, 2023. It’s extremely unlikely that there was some kind of last-minute hiccup in the post-production process or distribution, and most reports are connecting this delay to the Hollywood labor strikes. Studios may be trying to stretch out the finished material they have since the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes will now impact the schedules for finishing new movies and TV shows. That is only making fans angrier as they want the studios to pay the writers and actors they admire fair wages.
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Warner Bros. has delayed several other projects mid the strike as well, including Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and Challengers. By pushing movies like those back in the schedule, the studios could be attempting to space out their releases more to keep money coming in while they catch up on the time they are losing right now through the strike. Even if they reached deals now and restarted work immediately, there would be a noticeable gap in the slate.
All the unions on strike right now are requesting increased wages and updated protections for their working conditions. So far, most pundits agree that the studios are losing in the court of public opinion, but there is still no end in sight for these strikes. Here’s a look at what Dune fans are saying after this latest blow.
Cost
Some fans wondered what a delay like this might end up costing the studio in the long run, and whether that was worth it to avoid paying increased wages to writers, actors and crew members.
Relevant
A few commenters pointed out that the Fremen in Dune essentially staged a labor strike as well, making this an apt metaphor in the real world.
Gom Jabbar
Many fans joked that this delay is their personal gom jabbar – the painful test that the Bene Gesserit administered to Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) in Dune: Part One.
IMAX
While the movie will still come out eventually, many fans fear that it will not get the same prolonged time in IMAX theaters in the spring.
Wasted Hype
With two trailers already out and some important press engagements as well, many fans feel that Warner Bros. is sabotaging this movie by pulling the rug out from under it.
Dune 3
This weekend, director Denis Villeneuve made new comments about making a third Dune movie to complete the trilogy. Some fans took solace in this news while others saw it as a distraction and a consolation prize.
Aquaman 2
Finally, many fans were furious to hear that Warner Bros. will not be moving Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on its schedule, feeling that it would have made more sense that way.
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