Zendaya-led Challengers, Julio Torres' Problemista, and more releases delayed amid actors strike
Films are pushing back release dates so their stars can do promo without crossing any picket lines
While the effects of the SAG-AFTRA strike on films that are currently in production—such as Wicked Part 1 and Deadpool 2—have been well documented at this point, the walkout is also starting to affect films that have been 100% wrapped for a while now.
This is largely because of a key rule which states that striking actors are not allowed to promote upcoming projects in any way, especially at press junkets or on premiere or festival carpets. While films can still release during the strike without anyone crossing any picket lines (just look at today’s Barbenheimer madness), some directors are opting to push their project’s premiere dates until after the strike’s indefinite conclusion in order to benefit from promo they would otherwise be missing out on.
One of those films is Luca Guadagnino’s tennis threesome movie Challengers, whose sexy shots of stars Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor sent the internet into a full-blown meltdown a month ago, and is now repeating the feat with news of the delay. The film has been fully pulled from this year’s Venice Film Festival, which it was supposed to open in August, before being rolled out worldwide in September. That premiere has also been pushed back all the way to April 2024 (per The Guardian).
A24 has also indefinitely paused the release of Julio Torres’ Problemista, which also stars Tilda Swinton and was supposed to premiere in just a few short weeks on August 4. This is likely a net positive for the film—which stars Torres as an aspiring toy designer who gets tangled with an enigmatic outcast (Swinton)—which has a smaller profile than something like Barbie or even Challengers and would probably benefit immensely from a Swinton-led press tour.
Other films whose release dates have been pushed back include Lionsgate’s Helen Mirren-led White Bird, which will no longer premiere this August, and the Dirty Dancing sequel, which is being bumped from February to summer 2024. Rumors have also been swirling about pushed release dates for Dune: Part Two, which is currently slated for a November 3 premiere, and The Color Purple, currently set to premiere on Christmas day, as well, although nothing has been confirmed as of the time of writing.