And the theatrical calendar shake-ups continue as the SAG-AFTRA guild strike fails to resolve itself. The biggest shift announced today? It’s something that’s not directly about the standoff between SAF and the AMPTP, actually: Searchlight has pulled “Magazine Dreams” from its December 8 release date as its star, Jonathan Majors, faces his domestic violence trial date on November 29.
It’s telling that Searchlight has pulled “Magazine Dreams” from its calendar entirely, not resetting it for another date. That’s likely for a couple of reasons. For one, if Majors’ trial goes well, then Searchlight will put it back on their 2024 calendar, where there will be plenty of gaps for new releases thanks to the SAG strike delays. But if Majors’ trial goes south, that may put anything the actor is involved in (including future MCU installments) into a precarious position. If Majors becomes Hollywood’s latest persona non grata, don’t be surprised if “Magazine Dreams” doesn’t get released at all; a shame, considering how well critics received the film at Sundance earlier this year. Meanwhile, Searchlight still has Yorgos Lanthimos‘ Golden Lion winner “Poor Things” with Emma Stone set for December 8, so it’s not like they’ll miss “Magazine Dreams” immediately.
Now for the other shifts in Disney’s schedule thanks to the actors’ strike, with several 2024 movies pushed to 2025. Pixar‘s “Elio” moves from March 1, 2024 to June 13, 2025, while the live-action “Snow White” with Rachel Zegler goes to March 21, 2025 from March 22, 2024. Another untitled Disney feature gets a smaller push, from February 14, 2024 to April 5 next year. Those moves push one untitled Disney movie and one untitled Pixar film from their respective March 21, 2025 and June 12, 2025 release dates to off the schedule entirely.
Disney’s calendar shifts come hot on the heels of Warner Bros. moving a couple of titles around, too. James Wan‘s DCEU sequel “Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom” gets pushed yet again, but it’s only two days ahead, from December 20 to December 22. That’s likely to give the film a little space from another big WB December release, Paul King‘s “Wonka,” which hits theaters on December 15. And Barry Levinson‘s “Wise Guys” with Robert De Niro gets a couple changes, too. First off, a name change to “Alto Knights,” named after the infamous NYC social club. Levinson’s gangster drama moves from February 2, 2024 to November 14, 2024.
Don’t be surprised if Disney and other studios make more schedule shifts as the actors’ strike wages on. Disney already pulled New Regency‘s “The Bikeriders” from its December 1 theatrical release so they may use its star-studded ensemble cast to promote it (and to dodge Beyonce‘s upcoming concert film). And Marvel Studios yanked “Deadpool 3” from its May 3, 2024 release last week for a new date to be determined later once that film resumes production. So be prepared for anything in the coming weeks or for as long as SAG and the AMPTP remain at odds: the 2024 movie release calendar will get even more fluid and unstable as the strike continues.
