Disney Shakes Up Release Calendar: Major Delays for Poor Things and 3 Highly-Anticipated 2023 Films
Disney Delays Release Date Of Poor Things and 3 Other 2023 Releases due to ongoing Hollywood strikes, causing major disruptions in the film industry As a result, Poor Things and Wish face further delays
Summary
Disney has postponed the release of Poor Things and is contemplating delaying multiple film releases scheduled for 2023 due to the ongoing strikes affecting writers and actors.The strikes are causing difficulties in terms of actors being able to promote their new movies, which poses a potential marketing challenge for upcoming releases.
The shooting schedules for blockbuster films such as Deadpool 3 and the live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch could face interruptions, prompting production studios to postpone their release dates to account for potential content shortages.
UPDATE: Poor Things, a film by Searchlight Pictures, has been pushed back to December. This article has been revised to include this latest update.
Disney's plans to release Poor Things and several other films in 2023 may be disrupted due to the ongoing writers and actors strikes. The strikes, led by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, aim to secure fair compensation, streaming residuals, and stricter regulations regarding AI involvement in the production of movies and TV shows. As a result, both writers and actors are refusing to work on projects for studios associated with the AMPTP until negotiations are resolved.
Recently, Bloomberg reported that Disney is contemplating postponing the release of four of its films originally slated for 2023. These include Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins, Disney's upcoming animated film, Wish, and Magazine Dreams featuring Jonathan Majors. Already, Poor Things starring Emma Stone has been pushed back from September 8, 2023, to December 8, 2023. Similar delays may occur for Disney's other upcoming releases.
Why Studios Are Delaying Movies Because Of The Hollywood Strikes
Disney is not the sole Hollywood studio considering postponing major upcoming releases due to the writers and actors strikes. Warner Bros. is currently reassessing the release date for Dune: Part Two, as well as its entire 2023 lineup, which includes The Color Purple and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Some films, like the sports romance Challengers led by Zendaya, have already undergone release date changes, shifting from September 2023 to April 2024.
One significant reason behind studios delaying the release of major films during the ongoing Hollywood strikes is the restricted ability of actors to promote new film releases. Without actors being able to showcase their movies to entertainment platforms or on social media, upcoming films may experience a negative impact on their box office performance. By postponing significant releases, studios like Disney hope to avoid conflicting with strike dates, thus enabling actors to effectively promote their movies.
Film delays can also occur when major productions are halted due to strikes. This could potentially affect highly anticipated releases such as Deadpool 3 and the live-action Lilo & Stitch movie. In order to mitigate the impact of interrupted productions, studios may choose to delay certain movies that were scheduled for release in the near future. As the strikes by actors and writers persist, it is likely that Disney and other major studios will make official announcements regarding the postponement of their upcoming releases.
