Spiderman, Ghostbusters now caught in the web of Hollywood strike as Sony to postpone releases

According to reports earlier, one of the major studios, Disney, is reevaluating its film release schedule for the remainder of the year. The strike has created uncertainty about the actors’ ability to promote the movies, prompting Disney to consider potential delays for titles like “Poor Things,” “Next Goal Wins,” “Wish,” and “Magazine Dreams,” all originally slated for release this year.

Now, Sony Pictures Entertainment has recently decided to postpone the release of two major films: “Kraven the Hunter” and a sequel to “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” This move joins other studios’ actions in removing big-budget movies from the 2023 release calendar, causing concern for theaters and disappointing fans.

Sony has also pushed back some of its significant releases planned for 2024, such as “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” and a new “Karate Kid” installment. In an attempt to navigate around the limitations posed by the strike, they have implemented a unique strategy for the film “Gran Turismo,” which involves sneak previews before its wide release.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is contemplating whether to delay the release of “Dune: Part Two,” “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” and “The Color Purple,” all scheduled for the holiday season in 2023.

Looking ahead, the 2024 release calendar appears to be bustling, with Sony announcing a range of exciting films, including “Madame Web,” another “Ghostbusters” sequel, a “Bad Boys” sequel, a “Venom” sequel, “Kraven the Hunter,” and “Karate Kid.”The actors’ strike has presented considerable challenges for studios in promoting their upcoming projects. Members of the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild are prohibited from participating in publicity events, premieres, film festivals, and media interviews supporting films from the struck companies. This has raised concerns about a lack of star power available for movie promotion.SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, is committed to the strike, seeking improved compensation from streaming services and protections related to artificial intelligence and other issues. Despite the studios’ eagerness to resolve the situation, no talks have been scheduled.

The strike’s impact on the release schedule is becoming evident, with some studios postponing films. For instance, Searchlight Pictures delayed “Poor Things,” and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer moved “Challengers” due to the actors’ ban on publicity activities.

The dwindling fall release schedule poses a challenge for the movie theater industry, which has been slowly recovering from the pandemic’s impact. The timely release of major movies is crucial for the success of multiplex chains like AMC and Cinemark. A robust movie lineup attracts audiences, and the lack of movies during the pandemic resulted in theater closures and screen reductions.

Cineworld, which owns the Regal chain, has been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy for almost a year, highlighting the industry’s fragility. The strike’s potential continuation into September could further affect the 2024 release calendar, as several movies scheduled for next year have halted production during the strike. To meet their 2024 release dates, these films need to resume filming soon.

(with inputs from agencies)