by Riley Cook
Hollywood has been experiencing a wave of release schedule disruptions as the actors' strike extends beyond three months, leading to the postponement of highly anticipated films.
Image Credit: Mike Coppola / Staff / Getty Images
The latest casualty in this ongoing labor turmoil is the eighth installment of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, which has been postponed by a year. Paramount Pictures announced on Monday that the release date for the next "Mission: Impossible" has been pushed from June 28 to May 23, 2025. This significant shift is a direct result of the prolonged actors' strike, which has disrupted the film industry on multiple fronts.
Production on this follow-up to Christopher McQuarrie's "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" was initially halted in July. The reason behind this pause was the international promotion tour undertaken by Tom Cruise and the film's cast for "Dead Reckoning." Interestingly, the sequel, previously titled "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two," is now listed simply as "Mission: Impossible."
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While "Dead Reckoning" received widespread acclaim and grossed $567.5 million globally, it fell short of its predecessor, 2018's "Fallout," which amassed $791.7 million worldwide. Furthermore, it couldn't compete with Tom Cruise's summer 2022 blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick," which soared to an impressive $1.5 billion at the box office. Despite "Dead Reckoning" enjoying positive reviews, it was eventually overshadowed by the box office dominance of films like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer."
The ongoing labor turmoil has disrupted release plans not only for films scheduled for this fall, which are waiting for their stars to be available for promotions, such as "Dune: Part Two," now postponed until March, but also for many big-screen attractions set to debut next year.
Several Marvel movies have already pushed back their release dates, including the third "Venom" film. "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse," initially slated for March 2024, has been delayed indefinitely.
In addition to the delay in the "Mission: Impossible 8" release, Paramount has made further adjustments to its schedule. "A Quiet Place: Day One," a prequel to the popular post-apocalyptic horror series starring Lupita Nyong'o, will now be released on June 28, 2025, taking the slot previously allocated to "Dead Reckoning."
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As the actors' strike continues, negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the studios are set to resume on Tuesday. The future of Hollywood's film production and release schedules remains uncertain as the strike carries on, leaving both studios and audiences eager for a resolution. The entertainment industry's ongoing challenges highlight the significant impact that labor disputes can have on the world of cinema.