Warner Bros delays release of ‘Dune’ sequel, upcoming 'Lord of the Rings' film amid actors' strike

livemint.com:

COVID-19 pandemic. "Dune" was among the most eagerly awaited films scheduled for late 2023. According to a Reuters report quoting a studio spokesperson on Thursday, "Dune: Part Two" is now set to premiere on March 15 – a date initially reserved for the Warner Bros film "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire".

The latter has now been shifted to April 12. Consequently, an animated "Lord of the Rings" film that was slated for release in April has been rescheduled to December. Also read: Chandrayaan-3 LIVE Updates: Karnataka govt to felicitate ISRO chief, 500 scientists involved in Moon mission "Dune: Part Two" features Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet in a sci-fi sequel based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, depicting an intergalactic battle for control of a valuable resource.

The first installment, released in 2021 during the pandemic, raked in $402 million at global box offices. The strike by top actors has resulted from the SAG-AFTRA actors union joining the Hollywood writers' strike, which began on July 14. This strike has left movie studios scrambling to adjust their film schedules in the absence of celebrities to attend red carpet events or appear on talk shows to generate buzz.

Also read: Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth gets release date. Check details Sony Pictures, for instance, has altered the release strategy for "Dumb Money," a film inspired by the story of everyday investors who outsmarted Wall Street investors by investing in GameStop stock and profiting. Originally scheduled for a nationwide release on September 22, the studio has adopted a more gradual approach.