Sequels Take Priority As Strike Ends And Movie Production Starts Back Up
Even before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes brought Hollywood to its knees, the film industry was dominated by sequels. The reason for that is simple: studios would rather invest their time and money (often millions upon millions of dollars) into a proven intellectual property rather than take a risk on something new. Now that both strikes are over, get ready for a return to formula: Deadline reports that studios are prioritizing the production of sequels, including Deadpool 3, Beetlejuice 2, Venom 3, Gladiator 2, and more.
Holidays Delay Production
Despite focusing on these sequels, your favorite stars are unlikely to get in front of the cameras for these films anytime soon. While the SAG-AFTRA strike ended today, the end of this year is dominated by holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas which will further delay production. With cast and crew focusing on their families during this time, studios are currently only focusing on pre-production on already-started films before they properly start shooting these sequels in January 2024.
Deadpool 3 Is Priority
If you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, here’s some good news: one of the sequels resuming production ASAP is Deadpool 3, which was about halfway done when the strikes began. Given that film’s high budget and the fact that the reunion of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is so highly anticipated, we’re not sure exactly how long it will take Disney to finish that film. Other sequels are much closer to completion, including Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice 2, which only had two days of shooting left before the strikes began.
Don’t Expect Sequels Until 2024 At The Earliest
Even though these sequels will resume shooting in January, that doesn’t mean you can look forward to a winter of new films. Right now, the big focus for studios such as Disney is to have enough movies completed that summer 2024 is filled with blockbusters. Bob Iger said as much ahead of the actor’s strike ending, pointing out that unless the strike ended soon, the summer film release schedule around which “the entire industry is focused” would be in jeopardy.
Will Release Dates Stay The Same?
Now that the strikes are in the rearview mirror and production will soon be resuming, the primary focus of the major studios is finding the perfect release dates for these long-delayed sequels. Originally, Deadline reported that Deadpool 3 would get a May 2024 release, but there are now strong rumors that Captain America: Brave New World (originally slated for July 26) would swap release dates with Deadpool 3. Beetlejuice 2, meanwhile, is a sequel still on track for a September 6 release.
Beyond the Spider-Verse’s Release Is Still Up In The Air
In other superhero sequel news, Sony is still hoping to release Venom 3 on November 8 next year. Meanwhile, that studio’s biggest upcoming superhero sequel, Beyond the Spider-Verse, may or may not hit theaters in 2024 (it was originally going to be released on Easter weekend). But the cast can now resume recording their lines, meaning we might get a conclusion to Miles Morales’ amazing trilogy sooner rather than later.
Expect Plenty Of Sequels Over The Next Few Years
It’s an old complaint among movie fans that studios focus so much on sequels, but we must admit that we’re excited to finally see films like Deadpool 3 and especially Beyond the Spider-Verse on the big screen. With that being said, we can only hope that the studios will again find the time to take a chance on some exciting new ideas. Both Deadpool and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse were once bold new ideas for films, and we might never see anything that cool again if studios never find the time to look past sequels to proven IP.
