Sony Pictures is making some major shifts in its theatrical calendar. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and Kraven the Hunter have been moved from their original release dates because of the ongoing Hollywood strikes for fair wages and contracts between the studios and its writers & actors. The studio made the announcement Friday afternoon (July 27).
The Spider-Man sequel, which is centered around Afro-Latino superhero Miles Morales, is one of the most visually stunning movies to ever hit our screens. It also features the voice work of Latine actors like Oscar Isaac, Luna Lauren Velez, and Jharrel Jerome. And with no new release date being reported, everyone who enjoyed Across the Spider-Verse are going to have to wait longer than the previous date of March 29, 2024.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony also moved the superhero film Kraven the Hunter from its original release date in October to August 30, 2023. Kraven the Hunter stars Oscar winner Ariana DeBose in the role of Calypso, who in the comic book is a voodoo priestess and the love interest of the title character played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
Now, moviegoers are wondering what this will mean for the rest of the film industry, especially if the strike continues for several more weeks or months. According to Variety, it’s been more than two weeks since studios have held substantive conversations between members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), the Writers Guild of America (WGA), and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to try to come to an agreement.
The Hollywood strike has also affected other aspects of the industry. The 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards has been postponed from its initial broadcast date in September. A new date has not been announced.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse being covered here wouldn’t exist.