Disney Could Delay These New Movies for 2023 Due to SAG-AFTRA Strike

Multiple new Disney movies and projects are facing unexpected delays due to the unending SAG-AFTRA strikes. Potential holds to current release slates could be a tremendous financial burden as The Walt Disney Company has consistently underperformed at the global box office, releasing several high-budget failures over the last year. Although fans have claimed that many of Disney’s recent losses at the box office are due to their “woke” agenda, continued production woes don’t have an end in sight as strikes from both the Screen Actor’s Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists severely threatens plans for upcoming projects. Woke or not, Disney could be in big trouble if some of its upcoming titles aren’t released on time.

Strikes are Delaying New Disney Films

Credit: Disney

The Walt Disney Company, although a diverse conglomerate of business and property, is, first and foremost, an entertainment company. Disney’s bread and butter has always been film and animation. That’s how the company started and matured over the decades. ABC, ESPN, Lucasfilm, Marvel, 20th Century Fox, and more are all part of Disney’s enormous machine that churns out streaming shows, movies, and cartoons. These platforms all require writers and actors to create financially stable products that don’t lose money. Even Disney+, the seemingly once popular streaming service has taken a hit as subsciber numbers have fallen over the last year. However, the problem has now evolved. Although Disney has performed poorly in theatres with their new movies, they now face the dilemma of not being able to get new products finished or distributed according to their initial 2023 slate.

SAG Strikes Have Created Promotional Problems for Disney and Others

Credit: Universal

Of course, Disney is one of many studios facing this problem. As actors remain barred from promoting their movies, the SAG strike’s effects aren’t unique to the Disney, Pixar, or other Disney owned productions. According to Variety magazine, other studios, such as Warner Bros. are now considering pushing back release dates for upcoming projects like Dune: Part Two and The Lost Kingdom. Certinaly other production companies are considering the option of delaying releases of their new movies as well. Production isn’t their only problem however.

As entertainment companies like Warner Bros. and Disney rely laboriously on actors to provide positive reinforcement through film promotion, the current strike is creating difficulty in promoting new movies. Disney has already had to shift gears due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes during their previously planned promotional event for The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland last week. Although originally promoted as a red-carpet event complete with the film’s cast, SAG actors joined the writer’s strike at the last minute and were blocked from attending the event. Disney, well-prepared for this outcome, immediately announced a plan to change the premiere to a fan-oriented event that seemed to have been relatively successful.

Disney Movies The Company is Considering for Delay

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Disney Dining has done a lot of heavy hitting reporting regarding the current strike and how it impacts the production, promotion, and release of new Disney movies and content. Yet, according to Bloomberg, The Walt Disney Company is now reviewing its current release slate and considering pushing back several titles: 

• Searchlight’s Poor Things (September 8), featuring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, and Mark Ruffalo
• Searchlight’s Next Goal Wins (November 17), directed by Taika Waititi
• Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Wish (November 22), with Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine 
• Searchlight’s bodybuilder drama Magazine Dreams (December 8) featuring Jonathan Majors

Will Disney Take a Break from New Movies Due to the Strike

Credit: Pixar / Disney

As Disney could not get names like Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, and more to attend its premiere of The Haunted Mansion, it is safe to assume that the strike’s continued impact on production and promotion could be resounding. With no one to write, act, or promote new Disney films, the entertainment goliath will likely have to move beyond considering delaying new projects. Considering Disney and Pixar’s current state of box office affairs since titles like The Little Mermaid, Elemental, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny have all put a black mark on Disney’s once-certain success at theatres, a continuation of the SAG-AFTRA strike doesn’t bode well. The fact remains that until the many issues that have led to the strike are resolved, film production and promotion will not get any easier for Disney and other studios. New Disney movies likely face delay or potential scrapping. Although Bloomberg was quick to note that these considerations are young in their process and no final decisions have been made, it’s difficult to see another solution as the strike continues.