Top 5 Films Impacted by the Ongoing Hollywood Writers’ Strike
The Hollywood writers’ strike has brought the entertainment industry to a standstill, with numerous film productions being halted. The Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing 11,500 screenwriters, initiated the strike on May 2, 2023, over an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
This strike is the most significant disruption to American film and television production since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the largest labor stoppage that the WGA has undertaken since the strike of 1988, which lasted for 153 days.
The strike has coincided with a SAG-AFTRA strike since July 14, 2023, as part of a series of broader Hollywood labor disputes. The current strike jeopardizes long-term contracts created during the media streaming boom when producers were shelling out large sums to creative talent.
Among the hundreds of projects affected by the strike, five major upcoming films have been significantly impacted:
Avatar 3
Following the record-breaking success of “Avatar: The Way Of Water,” the new Avatar film’s release has been pushed back from 2024 to 2025 due to the strike.
Gladiator 2
Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington, this highly anticipated sequel was scheduled to premiere in November of next year. However, the movie stopped production about halfway through due to the strike, and it is unclear if it will make its 2024 release date now.
Beyond The Spider-verse
Initially set to hit big screens in March 2024, the film was removed from the release schedule in July 2023. A source within Sony told Variety that the strike prevented the film’s voice cast from recording their lines on schedule.
Mortal Kombat 2
The martial arts fantasy sequel, which picks up from where the 2021 film left off, was briefly filmed in Australia before pausing production due to the strike.
Blade
Mahershala Ali was all set to be a part of MCU’s Blade, taking the place of Wesley Snipes, but the production has been halted due to the strike.
The ongoing strike continues to affect the entertainment industry, casting uncertainty over Hollywood’s future.
