We were all looking forward to seeing Paul Atreides, Chani and their Fremen allies take the fight to the Harkonnens this December, but fans of Denis Villeneuve's acclaimed Dune adaptation may have to wait a bit (maybe a lot) longer to catch Part 2 in theatres.
It seems Warner Bros. Discovery may ultimately decide to push the sci-fi sequel back to next year - along with several other upcoming movies.
According to Variety, the studio is considering delaying the release of Dune: Part 2, James Wan's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and The Color Purple to 2024. Nothing has been confirmed, however, and it's worth noting that said that once source claims that "releases are moving forward as originally planned and no formal discussions have been had, but the duration of the union battles are completely unpredictable."
Given the behind-the-scenes turmoil afflicting Aquaman 2 (we've heard it's... not great), a delay was probably inevitable, but the Dune sequel being (potentially) pushed back is a little more surprising, and will likely result in a lot more disappointment.
These major tentpoles benefit greatly from their starry casts hyping them up, and with actors unable to do any promotion due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, WB is understandably apprehensive about releasing them without the maximum amount of fanfare.
This may not be the last of the delays, either.
The trade also mentions that The Marvels, Napoleon, and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes could also be impacted by the strikes, and might be pushed back.