Already, several upcoming films have had their release plans changed as a result of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Helen Mirren’s drama ‘White Bird’ and A24’s Julio Torres’ comedy ‘Problemista’ were due to release in August but currently have no official release dates, while on Friday tennis romance ‘Challengers’ starring Zendaya gave up its coveted opening-night title slot at the Venice Film Festival, which opens on August 30. The film, like Emma Stone’s comedy Poor Things, was slated for a September theatrical release to capitalize on the star’s media promotion in Venice. . Now ‘Challengers’ has moved to April 2024, according to. deadline.
The Venice International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival are due to announce their full line-ups next week, and while those line-ups have the chance to build on the cinephile momentum brought by the ‘Babenheimer’ weekend, many wonder if they’re missing the star-studded prestige titles that studios usually throw in there. “If ‘Oppenheimer’ was a fall movie and I was going to bring it to Toronto, I probably would have decided not to take it at this point,” said awards strategist Tony Angelotti.
As Hollywood gears up for its next strike-related shoe launch, Scott Sanders feels an unwelcome déjà vu. As one of the producers of The Color Purple, a new movie-meets-musical hybrid, Sanders has spent months scrutinizing the meticulous release strategy for Fantasia Barrino’s film, which hits theaters at Christmas. But all that hard work could be ruined if Warner Bros. delays the film’s release, as it did with another Sanders-produced musical three years ago. “In the Heights” was postponed for a full year due to the pandemic until June 2021, after which it was released simultaneously in theaters and HBO Max.
Sanders said the studio has assured there has been no discussion about pushing “The Color Purple” to 2024 so far. Still, Sanders said, “I’d honestly be nervous if other high-profile holiday or award-hungry films start rolling.” “The optimist in me thinks I have six or seven weeks left before I start taking Pepto-Bismol,” he added.
Sanders said the “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” hype could rekindle movie-going enthusiasm, but there may be few titles left to capitalize on it. “Can we keep the momentum going this weekend?” he said. “Or will we suddenly lift the emergency shutdown next month or the month after that and start all over again?”
If that cord is pulled, it will have a huge ripple effect. Theaters that have barely bounced back from the brink since the pandemic will be put to the test again, while films already slated for 2024 may be forced to free up space. And without the usual rush of year-end authoritative movies, this year’s awards season could turn out to be very different, or in other words, all too familiar.
“The worst-case scenario is that every studio on the planet decides to push their fourth-quarter movies to next year,” Sanders thought. “Suddenly, the final candidates for the award are ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’. so what happens? “
