Will Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet's Dune: Part Two be delayed?

Los Angeles, California - After Zendaya and the rest of the Challengers team dropped out of Venice Film Festival and delayed the film's theatrical release, it seems there may be hope for her other major movie of 2023.

With Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet unable to promote the movie, Dune: Part Two continues to face rumors of a potential delayed theatrical release.
With Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet unable to promote the movie, Dune: Part Two continues to face rumors of a potential delayed theatrical release.  © Collage: IMAGO / Picturelux & ZUMA Press

Amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the fate of the highly-anticipated sci-fi sequel, Dune: Part Two, has grown uncertain.

With a planned release date of November 3, the strikes are not likely to resolve by the time the movie hits theaters.

As SAG-AFTRA members, Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, and the rest of the starring cast are not able to promote the movie anymore.

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Press tours are often vital to a movie's success, and this dilemma is largely what led to Challengers getting pushed from September 2023 to April 2024.

Though Variety previously reported that Warner Bros. was "strongly considering" a delay, new comments from IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond revealed a significant glimmer of hope for Dune: Part Two's release date to remain the same during an IMAX earnings call on Wednesday.

"I feel quite strongly that it's not going to move," he said, per the Independent, also revealing that studio heads have denied that the initial reports of a potential delay were not true.

Gelfond acknowledged that the stars' inability to do press would be behind a decision to delay, but he doesn't believe it's worth the wait.

IMAX CEO hits back at rumors of a Dune: Part Two delay

If Dune: Part Two is delayed, The Marvels will take the IMAX screens previously committed to the former.
If Dune: Part Two is delayed, The Marvels will take the IMAX screens previously committed to the former.  © Collage: Imago / Everett Collection

"With no disrespect to Timothée Chalamet, are you going to be able to make up for losing the six-week IMAX release?" he said.

"Are you going to move it to an uncertain year when you have no idea what's going to be put against you when they have virtually no competition right now in the marketplace? It doesn't really make any sense."

The CEO continued on to explain what might occur should Dune be delayed, confirming that the next MCU blockbuster, The Marvels, would take its place on the IMAX screens.

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The Captain Marvel sequel is slated to be released a week later (November 10) and was not planned to have an IMAX release due to Dune: Part Two's commitment.

"If Dune moves, we will just go over to The Marvels – and having a Marvel movie as a backup is not the worst position to be in the world," he said.

"But in terms of Dune, my own opinion is that it's highly unlikely to move."

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / Picturelux & ZUMA Press

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