Warner Bros Delays "Dune: Part Two", "Lord of the Rings" Movies due to Strike

Warner Bros. has delayed the planned November release of a big-budget "Dune" sequel until March, a studio spokesperson said on Thursday.

The sequel was delayed due to its stars inability to promote the movie during the Hollywood actors' strike.

"Dune: Part Two" will now open on March 15, a date that had been reserved for Warner Bros film "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." The monster movie was aslo shifted to April 12.

As a result, an animated "Lord of the Rings" movie that had been set for April was moved to December.

"Dune: Part Two" stars Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet in a sci-fi sequel based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel about an intergalactic battle to control a precious resource.

The first installment, released in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic, generated $402 million at global box offices.

Top stars have refused to promote upcoming projects since the SAG-AFTRA actors union joined striking Hollywood writers on July 14.

The actors' strike has prompted other movie studios to adjust movie schedules in the absence of celebrities to hit red carpets or talk shows to help build buzz.

Overall, moviegoing this year remains below pre-pandemic levels despite the major boost this summer from the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon around the movies "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer."

Other major movies on the 2023 schedule at the moment include Walt Disney's "The Marvels," a Lionsgate prequel to "The Hunger Games", and "Wonka," another Warner Bros film that also stars Chalamet.

The strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which began on May 2, has shut down most production of scripted televisions shows and some movie shoots.