Warner Bros delays 'Dune,' 'Lord of the Rings' films due to strike (updated)

Cinemark Holdings

25/08/2023 24:05

(Adds details on Hollywood strikes, box office, paragraphs
7-12)
    By Lisa Richwine
       LOS ANGELES, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The Warner Bros  WBD.O 
movie studio will delay the planned November release of a
big-budget "Dune" sequel until March, a studio spokesperson said
on Thursday, because its stars cannot promote the movie during
the Hollywood actors' strike.
    The decision deals a blow to cinema chains such as AMC
Entertainment  AMC.N , Cineplex  CGX.TO  and Cinemark  CNK.N 
which are still trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Dune" was one of the most anticipated films on the late 2023
schedule.
    "Dune: Part Two" will now debut on March 15, a date that had
been reserved for Warner Bros film  "Godzilla x Kong: The New
Empire." The monster movie was shifted to April 12.
    As a result, an animated "Lord of the Rings" film that had
been set for April was moved to December.
    "Dune: Part Two" stars Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet in a
sci-fi sequel based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel about an
intergalactic battle to control a precious resource. The first
installment, released in 2021 during the pandemic, generated
$402 million at global box offices.
    Top stars have refused to promote upcoming projects since
the SAG-AFTRA actors union joined striking Hollywood writers and
walked off the job on July 14.
    The actors' strike has prompted other movie studios to
adjust film schedules in the absence of celebrities to hit red
carpets or talk shows to help build buzz. 
    Sony Pictures  6758.T  altered the release strategy for
"Dumb Money," the film inspired by the story of everyday
investors who outwitted Wall Street investors and got rich on
the stock of videogame and electronics retailer GameStop
 GME.N .  
    The film was originally scheduled to open nationwide on
Sept. 22, though the studio adopted a more gradual release
strategy to generate interest from audience reactions. The film
will now open on a limited number of screens in New York and Los
Angeles on Sept. 15 before expanding across the country on Oct.
6.
    Overall moviegoing this year remains below pre-pandemic
levels despite the major boost this summer from the
"Barbenheimer" frenzy around the films "Barbie" and
"Oppenheimer."
    Other major films on the 2023 schedule at the moment include
Walt Disney's  DIS.N  "The Marvels," a Lionsgate  LGFa.N 
prequel to "The Hunger Games," and "Wonka," another Warner Bros 
film that also stars Chalamet.
    The strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which
began on May 2, has shut down most production of scripted
televisions shows and some movie shoots.
    

 (Reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles
Editing by Chris Reese and Matthew Lewis)
 ((lisa.richwine@thomsonreuters.com; Follow me on Twitter
@LARichwine; 1-424-434-7324; Reuters Messaging:
lisa.richwine.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))