Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning 2 The Latest in Announced Film Delays

As the actors’ strike in Hollywood reaches a record-breaking 100 days, the entertainment industry finds itself in disarray, with production schedules thrown into chaos. This strike follows the writers’ strike earlier in the year and has had a severe impact on Hollywood’s recovery from the pandemic.

Hollywood’s Box Office Dilemma

The strikes have triggered a series of delays, and one of the most significant casualties is Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two.” Initially slated for release on June 28, 2024, the film has been postponed to May 23, 2025, dealing a substantial blow to the 2024 box office. In its place, the Lupita Nyong’o-led spinoff, “A Quiet Place: Day One,” will now take the spotlight, shifting from its original release date of March 8, 2024. Additionally, the latest “SpongeBob SquarePants” movie, initially set for May 23, 2025, has been pushed back to December 19, 2025. These delays reflect the uncertainty and frustration gripping Hollywood studios.

Disney’s Marvel Lineup Takes a Hit

The strikes have not spared Disney’s Marvel slate either. “Blade,” one of the most highly anticipated Marvel films, has been delayed by five months, moving from September 6, 2024, to February 14, 2025. “Fantastic Four” also faces a delay, shifting from Valentine’s Day 2025 to May 2, 2025. These delays raise concerns about the future of Marvel’s Phase Four and the interconnected storytelling that fans have come to expect. That’s to say nothing of Marvel projects like Ironheart and Daredevil: Born Again, which have been rumored to have been canceled altogether.

Member When Disney Bought Everything?

The strikes have set off a domino effect in Hollywood,  but few studios will take as hard a hit as the megalith that is Disney. “Captain America: Brave New World” has been postponed to July 26, 2024, causing a ripple effect on the release of “Thunderbolts,” which is now scheduled for December 20. Two upcoming “Avengers” movies, “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” have been pushed back by a year, with release dates in May 2026 and May 2027, respectively. Notably, “Deadpool 3,” the first film in the franchise to be part of the MCU, is among the few to advance its premiere date, moving from November 8, 2024, to May 3.

The fate of several other films hangs in the balance. “Spider-Man 4,” produced in collaboration with Sony and featuring Tom Holland as the webslinger, remains undated. Sony’s animated “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” originally expected in March 2024, has been delayed indefinitely.

More Than Just Movies: TV Shows in Limbo

The strikes have also affected the television landscape. Acclaimed HBO and Max series like “The Last of Us,” “Euphoria,” “House of the Dragon,” “Hacks,” and “The White Lotus” have been pushed back to 2025 and beyond or removed from the release calendar altogether. Highly anticipated shows such as the upcoming “Game of Thrones” spinoff, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,” and “The Batman” spinoff, “The Penguin,” are now undated. Netflix, too, has experienced delays in the latest seasons of popular shows like “Emily in Paris” and “Stranger Things.” Disney+ series, including “Daredevil: Born Again” and “Wonder Man,” remain in limbo.

Studios Face Uncertainty

The strike-related gaps on the calendar have prompted studios to reevaluate their strategies. Some are shifting release dates for major films, while others are considering moving production outside of North America to mitigate the impact of the strikes.

Warner Bros. Discovery has already adjusted its earnings estimates, reducing them by $300 million to $500 million for the year. Independent production companies, heavily reliant on delivering content, are contemplating layoffs and other cost-cutting measures.

Strike 3

The strikes in Hollywood have thrown the industry into turmoil, causing delays in major movies and TV shows and affecting the release calendar for years to come. The ongoing standoff between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the studios adds further uncertainty to Hollywood’s future. As studios and unions grapple with their disputes, the impact is felt across the board, from actors to crew members and, most significantly, audiences. In a time when Hollywood’s quality is already at an all-time low, its resilience is being tested like never before, and only time will reveal the true extent of the aftermath of these strikes.

In the meantime, there are still films trickling into the cinemas. Martin Scorcese’s three-and-a-half-hour “Killers of the Flower Moon” has divided audiences but may be worth your time. “Five Nights At Freddy’s” releases this weekend. If you’re looking for a good scary movie that’s not a gorefest, you can still find some theaters with showtimes for the excellent “A Haunting in Venice.”