Dune fans are baffled by Warner Bros.’s decision to delay the sequel

Sand dunes Fans have been baffled by Warner Bros.’s decision to delay the upcoming sequel.

And on Thursday (August 24), after weeks of speculation, it was announced Dune: Part Two It will officially be postponed due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes taking place in Hollywood.

The news comes despite IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond saying just a month ago that reports about the film’s possible delay were “untrue”.

“I feel very strongly that it won’t move,” he said of the film’s previous release date of November 3, 2023, adding that it would be a questionable move due to the film’s six-week exclusive window to IMAX.

This window was seen Dune: Part Two It will be shown on IMAX screens despite competition from wonderlanda Captain Marvel The sequel starring Brie Larson. The movie will now be released on March 14, 2024.

Fans are surprised by the postponement announcement given that the film probably won’t get this lucrative IMAX showing in March 2024.

“Sand dunes “It would have been legitimately possible to pay for $1 billion back in its history,” one person wrote, adding: “It had IMAX screen exclusivity all winter and next to no competition. Now it would be lucky to pass $500 million.”

Another stated: “The World Bank has seen success Oppenheimer in IMAX format and looked at running that for six weeks Dune part two It’ll be in November and he said, “Nah.” We are ok.'”

“It is not wise to delay it given the box office receipts of major Hollywood films over the past month,” one moviegoer wrote.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire It’s also been delayed, moving from March to April 12, 2024. However, the studio will be moving forward with its big releases in December 2023: Wonka (15 December), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December 20) and Violet (25 December).

Watch Apple TV+ for free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £6.99/month. After the free trial. Plan auto-renew until cancelled

Try for free

Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video

Register now for a free 30-day trial

subscription

Timothée Chalamet plays the lead role of Paul Atreides in the film franchise based on Frank Herbert’s classic science fiction book epic of the same name.

Among the new cast members joining the sequel is Oscar-nominated Austin Butler, who is unrecognizable as the fearsome Fed-Rautha Harkonnen, the younger nephew and heir of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård).

Léa Seydoux also joins the cast as Lady Margot, a Bene Gesserit, as does Souhaila Yacoub as Freemen Warrior and Tim Blake Nelson.

Reprising their roles from the 2021 film are Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, and Stephen McKinley Henderson.

Shortly after the “stunning” first trailer was revealed at CinemaCon this year, Zendaya reassured fans about her screen time in the upcoming movie.

“It’s just not in dreams this time,” the actress said, referring to earlier complaints about her limited appearance in the first film, despite her role being heavily promoted.

Villeneuve described the sequel as an “epic war movie” and “more intense” than the first.

“Dune: Part Two It will explore the legendary journey of Paul Atreides as he teams up with Chaney and the Fremen as he fights for revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.

Faced with a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he seeks to prevent a terrible future that only he can predict.

The actors’ strike is now in its second month after the 160,000-member SAG-AFTRA union voted to join the striking Hollywood writers fighting for better compensation and guarantees they won’t lose their work to artificial intelligence (AI), among other demands. .

And in a recent interview, antiquities Superstar Billy Porter said he actually had to sell his home as a result of the strikes.