Poor Things has been delayed from its September release date – and Disney is reportedly considering delaying more of its films amid the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike, in an early sign of potential major release date disruption.
The strike kicked off earlier in the month, joining the ongoing WGA writers' strikes, which have been in action since May. This is particularly historic as it marks the first time since 1960 that both actors and writers have been on strike.
Variety reports that Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, has been shifted to December 8 – though it will still debut at Venice Film Festival.
According to a report from Bloomberg (published prior to the Poor Things delay), Disney is "reviewing" its release slate for the rest of 2023, with potential delays on the cards as the strike means actors cannot promote their projects (all promotional activity, including red carpets, interviews, and even social media posts, is banned under strike rules).
These conversations are said to be at "an early stage," but the publication cites Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins, upcoming Disney princess film Wish, and the festival favorite Magazine Dreams as films that could be delayed.
At the moment, Next Goal Wins is slated for November 17, Wish for November 22, and Magazine Dreams for December 8. We can safely assume Magazine Dreams will be shifting too, then, as Poor Things now occupies its slot. Disney's Haunted Mansion and The Marvels, meanwhile, are still set to arrive in 2023.
The impact of the strike is already being felt elsewhere, too – Challengers, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor, has been delayed to April 2024 from its September release date (it was also set to open Venice Film Festival).
Plus, blockbuster shut downs on Gladiator 2 and Deadpool 3 are reportedly costing studios $600,000 a week, and Variety has reported that Warner Bros. is considering delaying Dune 2, The Color Purple, and Aquaman 2.
At the moment, it remains to be seen how or when the strikes could be resolved, but it's clear that significant disruption is on the horizon.
For everything that's slated to release this year, check out our guide to all the upcoming major movie release dates.
