Four Disney movies releasing in 2023 may be delayed due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes.
The actors joined the writers on the picket lines on July 14, making it the first time both have been on strike since 1960. An immediate impact of 2023 films was felt, with Universal Pictures canceling the Oppenheimer U.S. red carpet premiere.
In addition, Zendaya's Challengers film was just delayed to April 26, 2024, after initially set to release September 15 this year.
Four Disney Films Possibly Getting Delayed
A new report by Bloomberg indicated that four 2023 Disney-distributed films could all be delayed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
These possible schedule changes would mainly happen because the talent attached to each project won't be able to promote the film if the SAG-AFTRA continues.
1.) Wish
Set to hit theaters on November 22, Wish is Disney Animation Studios' latest attempt to draw a crowd in the post-pandemic theater climate.
Recent Disney animated productions Lightyear, Strange World, and Elemental have all been targeted towards similar young audiences and none of them have been a hit at the box office.
2.) Magazine Dreams
Jonathan Majors stars in Magazine Dreams, set to release on December 8. Majors' name has been clouded with controversy since he was arrested back in March.
Disney and Searchlight Pictures previously held back from showing the film at the annual CinemaCon convention, indicating their uncertainty around the film.
3.) Poor Things
Poor Things stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe, and is set to release on September 28. It is based on a 1992 novel of the same name.
Its premise follows a young woman, Bella (Stone), who is resurrected by scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Dafoe) and embarks on an adventure. Freed from societal norms, Bella embraces her quest for equality and liberation.
4.) Next Goal Wins
Next Goal Wins stars Michael Fassbender and is directed by Taika Waititi. It's set to release on November 17.
Production began for this film in 2019, originally casting Armie Hammer before replacing the controversial actor's role with Will Arnett.
The film follows soccer coach Thomas Rongen (Fassbender) being assigned the challenge of elevating the performance of the American Samoa national team.
Are Movies in 2023 Over?
The only reason Disney films like Haunted Mansion and The Marvels appear to be safe with their respective July 28 and November 10 release dates is that marketing is too far along to consider a delay.
The scary truth about these Hollywood strikes is no one knows when either will end. This could go on for several months, which is a clear concern for the studios releasing films this year.
In the case of Disney, delays could be imminent. The media giant owns so many production studios that it releases films you may not normally equate to Disney.
Poor Things, Next Goal Wins, and Magazine Dreams are all produced by Searchlight Pictures, which Disney acquired when it bought 20th Century Fox in 2019.
The expectation would be that none of the talents would do any press for the films unless it has been previously recorded before the strike.
So when's the best time to delay a film? What films aren't worth the hassle?
That's for the studios to decide as the writers and actors seek fair pay in a changing world with streaming and AI.
