Sony Pictures has decided to shift its release schedule than work out issues with the Hollywood Strike.
As we enter weeks into both the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA strike, the major movie studios are beginning to do drastic things to work around the strike instead of working on negotiations.
Sony Pictures is moving two of its most significant projects to 2024, primarily due to needing actors in different capacities. Kraven the Hunter, one of the studio’s bigger Marvel films, was set for October this year but will now open on August 30, 2024, for Labor Day weekend. Multiple sources note that the film needs a massive global press tour with its actors, and the strike is preventing that.
Joining them in the move to 2024 is the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel. While they are done with principal photography, actors are needed for some post-production shoots, and the strike is holding things up.
One of the hardest-hitting moves for Sony Pictures is Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-verse, which loses its release date to the new Ghostbusters and moves to the dreaded “To Be Determined” category. Sources note that the film “requires a number of voiceovers and won’t be ready in time.”
In a minor move, Gran Turismo, initially dated for August 11, is moving to a wide release on August 25. The same goes for Sony/Marvel’s Madame Web, which moves up to Valentine’s Day 2024.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Sony. The recently wrapped Bad Boys 4 has been set for Fathers’ Day weekend 2024, and Venom 3 got a July 12, 2024 release date.
We shall see if any other studios follow Sony’s lead or if this faux scare tactic doesn’t work and studios decide to sit down with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
