WB Reportedly Considers Delaying Several Upcoming Movies, Including ‘Aquaman 2’

It appears that the ongoing strikes of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) will have even more repercussions than we initially anticipated. When the WGA started the strike last May, every production that was in the writing process was put on hold, and while some productions with finished scripts continued without the writers, some filmings were also put on hold until the strike was resolved.

Things got more complicated earlier this month when Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, announced the strike of actors as well, which immediately put almost every ongoing production in Hollywood on hold. However, despite all of that, it was expected that completed movies, which are set for imminent release, would be released normally since their productions are completed. But then a new problem arose; during the SAG-AFTRA, the actors weren’t only prohibited from filming and doing any promotional work or red carpet events.

Warner Bros. is reportedly considering delaying multiple movies, including one DC movie

During the strike, the studios are allowed to promote the movies with new trailers and interviews that were filmed before the strike began, but the actors aren’t allowed to promote it in any way, not even on their social media accounts.

It appears that the studios aren’t confident enough to promote movies without the actors, so one of them is reportedly considering delaying the movies that are currently in post-production and, therefore, can’t be affected by either writers’ or actors’ strikes.

We’ve recently learned that WB considered delaying ‘Blue Beetle,’ but the idea was ultimately abandoned. According to Variety, Warner Bros. is unsure if they should keep the current release dates for ‘Dune: Part Two,’ ‘The Color Purple,’ and ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.’

‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ recently completed its third round of reshoots before the SAG-AFTRA strike began. The movie reportedly didn’t have positively reviewed test screenings, although the reports are saying that the studio is growing more confident in the movie after the latest round of reshoots. This last DCEU movie is currently set to be released in December 2023, and it’s set to conclude the franchise before James Gunn’s ‘Superman: Legacy’ kicks off in July 2025.

Given that it would take a year and a half for DCU to start after DCEU concludes, that could theoretically create some window to delay ‘Aquaman 2’ to 2024 without affecting and delaying the development of the first DCU projects.

Currently, the only theatrical DC movie set to be released in 2024 is ‘Joker: Folie à Deux,’ and given that we already watched two DC movies in 2023, with ‘Blue Beetle’ on the way next month, delaying ‘Aquaman 2’ would potentially create some balance in the release calendar, although some fans probably can’t wait for ‘Aquaman 2’ to be released just so that we can put DCEU in past once and for all.

Apart from ‘Aquaman 2,’ one more movie facing probable delay is Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part Two,’ arguably one of the year’s most anticipated movies. The movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning six, and there are already some talks that the franchise could continue with the potential third movie, which would adapt the next book in Frank Herbert’s series of novels.

‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ is currently set to open in theaters on December 20, 2023. Will the release date be pushed to next year, remains to be seen.

Are you looking forward to ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’? Let us know in the comments.