From ‘Dune’ to ‘Gladiator 2’ – Here’s the films resuming production after SAG-AFTRA’s deal was approved

Earlier this year, for the first time in 63 years, the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild were on strike at the same time. Writers had been on the picket lines since May 2nd, and on July 13th, Screen Actors Guild president Fran Drescher announced actors would be joining the writers officially beginning at midnight on July 14th. This historic stand was in response to stalled negotiations with studios on fair compensation, self-tape auditions, and AI, among other sticking points. While on strike, actors couldn’t act or promote, which saw studios with blank pages and empty sets. 

Now, though, Hollywood actors are set to end their nearly four-month strike, the SAG-AFTRA union announced on Wednesday, bringing to a close a historic work stoppage that had brought the film and television industry to a standstill for months. Below, we take a look at the films that halted production, and were subsequently delayed, and could now be brought forward.

Wicked 

Wicked had paused filming with reportedly only ten days of production left, according to Vanity Fair. Cast members Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, and Bowen Yang had voiced their support for the actors’ strike, meaning union chants became a little more beautiful. 

Gladiator 2

The news of Gladiator 2 production being halted halfway through filming, according to Deadline, left millennial fans of Normal People and middle-aged fathers all around the world heartbroken, with only Paul Mescal to comfort them. 

The Movie Critic

World of Reel reported that Quentin Tarantino’s next movie, The Movie Critic, had delayed filming due to the actor’s strike. The movie is set to follow a female porn critic (most likely with an affinity for walking the streets of L.A. barefoot) and takes place in the 1970s, and will act as the esteemed director’s last hurrah.

Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse

After taking over the box office earlier this year, the second part of the animated Spider-Man film now has an unknown release date, according to Variety. The movie, led by Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld, was originally scheduled to come out on March 29th, 2024.

Dune: Part Two

Vanity Fair reported that Dune: Part Two, which is set to showcase millennial excellence in the form of Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, and Florence Pugh, would be pushed back until March 15th 2024. The sandy sequel was supposed to hit the big screen on November 3rd (originally, the film was supposed to come out on November 17th before it was moved up.) 

Juror #2

Juror #2, which is being regarded as Clint Eastwood’s final movie, had paused filming, according to NBC, back in June. The star-studded cast includes Nicholas Hoult, Kiefer Sutherland, Toni Collette, and Zoey Deutch.

Beetlejuice 2

As reported by Variety, production had paused on the Tim Burton–directed affair, initially slated for September 6th, 2024 (right in time for Halloween). Saying “Beetlejuice” three times won’t bring it back, but fair wages just might. The now–Emmy nominated queen of darkness, Jenna Ortega, plays the daughter of Winona Ryder’s character, Lydia Deetz. None other than Mr Juice himself, Michael Keaton, was also set to step into his iconic striped suit once more, as well as Catherine O’Hara, who will be reprising her role as Delia Deetz.