The Hollywood actors’ strike finally came to an end on Thursday after 118 days, concluding the longest strike ever for film and television actors.
Union SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative agreement for a new three-year deal with studios after a strike which threatened to throw studios into chaos.
The actors’ strikes began on July 14, joining screenwriters who had walked off the job more than two months earlier, with issues including pay and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) lying at the heart of the talks.
Production on a whole host of hotly-anticipated releases were halted during the strikes, with the writers strikes ending on September 26, two months before the actors’ strikes followed.
Now both of the Hollywood strikes have finally come to a close, MailOnline takes a look at the exciting TV shows and films that fans can expect to see on screens soon.
Exciting: The Hollywood actors’ strike finally came to an end on Thursday after 118 days, meaning a whole host of projects can continue, including The White Lotus’ third season
THE WHITE LOTUS
Just hours before it was confirmed that the strikes were ending, The White Lotus creator Mike White teased that the third season will be ‘supersized’.
The beloved HBO show is expected to hit screens in 2025 after production was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mike revealed that he’s hoping to start filming The White Lotus’ third season at the beginning of 2024.
He said: ‘I’m seriously finishing scripts. Still waiting to be able to cast.
‘If the SAG strike isn’t resolved soon, then yeah, we’d have to push again because the show has a new cast every season, so there’s lots of parts to cast… I’m more than eager to get going.
‘It’s going to be a supersized White Lotus. It’s going to be longer, bigger, crazier. I don’t know what people will think, but I am super excited, so at least for my own barometer, that’s a good thing… I’m super excited about the content of the season.’
It was previously reported that the upcoming third season would be set in Thailand, after sources told Variety that Mike had been spotted scoping out multiple locations in the country.
The previous two seasons have been set in fictional White Lotus hotels, but they were shot on the premises of Four Seasons hotels in Hawaii and Sicily.
Variety noted that the luxury hotel chain has four locations throughout Thailand in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and the Golden Triangle.
So far, no details on the ensemble cast of the third season have been announced, though it will likely featured a mostly new collection of stars.
The second season did feature return characters played by Jon Gries and Jennifer Coolidge.
Coming soon: Just hours before it was confirmed that the strikes were ending, The White Lotus creator Mike White teased that the third season will be ‘supersized’
Awaited: In an interview, Mike revealed that he’s hoping to start filming The White Lotus’ third season at the beginning of 2024
STRANGER THINGS
Filming for the final season of Stranger Things was delayed amid the strikes, but production is expected to start again soon.
And earlier this week, the first scene of the fifth season was revealed, sending excited fans absolutely wild.
The show’s writer’s room account on X, formerly known as Twitter, has a long tradition of releasing teasers over the years, and on Monday it gave a new update.
After announcing in September that the writers had begun working on the final season of the Netflix show, the first moments of the opening scene have now been revealed.
Page one of the script reads: ‘DARKNESS. The sound of COLD WIND. GROANING TREES. And… A CHILD’S VOICE. Singing a familiar song:’
The photo is captioned: ‘Season 5. Chapter 1. Scene 1.’
Fans went wild for the teaser, with one replying to the post: ‘You teasing us with crumbs… please more!’
Other speculated as to what the ‘familiar song’ could be with many concluding that it could be a throwback to a key scene from way back in season one.
‘SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO NOWWW ARE WE GETTING A THROWBACK TO S1 WILL SINGING IN THE UPSIDE DOWN,’ asked one fan.
Last week, the show’s director and executive producer Shawn Levy insisted he isn’t worried about the cast aging for the show’s fifth season.
Opening up to Variety, the director acknowledged the aging concerns, saying, ‘We’ve already watched the cast of our show grow up in the public eye, and between 12 and 22, every human being changes profoundly.’
But he conveyed his confidence in his hair and makeup and wardrobe department for Stranger Things to mask the cast’s obvious aging, saying that the team was ‘pretty exceptional,’ at ‘using costumes and wigs and make-up’.
Back on track: Filming for the final season of Stranger Things was delayed amid the strikes, but production is expected to start again soon
Chills: And earlier this week, the first scene of the fifth season was revealed, sending excited fans absolutely wild
Growing up: Last week, the show’s director and executive producer Shawn Levy insisted he isn’t worried about the cast aging for the show’s fifth season
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
Mission Impossible: 8 has been delayed for almost a year because studios were forced to rejig release dates amidst the ongoing actors’ strike.
Tom Cruise, 61, was originally scheduled to return as field agent and operative Ethan Hunt on June 28, 2024, but its release date has been pushed back.
Instead, Paramount Pictures moved A Quiet Place: Day One into the slot thailand, starring Emily Blunt as the third film in the franchise.
Mission Impossible 8 is currently unnamed but will most likely be called Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, as it is a direct sequel to Part One released earlier this year.
Paramount has had to rejig its film release dates due to the recently-concluded strikes, and fans will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of Mission Impossible.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One underperformed at the box office compared to the previous films in the franchise, despite Tom’s attempts to extend its run.
Pushed back: Mission Impossible: 8 has been delayed for almost a year because studios were forced to rejig release dates amidst the ongoing actors’ strike
YELLOWJACKETS
The third season of Yellowjackets was disrupted due to the strikes, as they only day one day in the writer’s room before being shut down due to the walkout.
‘Well, we had exactly one day in the #YellowJackets S3 writers’ room,’ co-creator Ashley Lyle wrote on Twitter at the time.
‘It was amazing, and creatively invigorating, and so much fun, and I’m very excited to get back to it as soon as the #WGA gets a fair deal. #1u #unionstrong.’
However, writers were back at work on the survival thriller and coming-of-age drama at the start of October, after the writers’ strikes were called off in September.
Ashley tweeted at the time: ‘Celebrating the official return of the Yellowjackets writers’ room at the Magic Castle, NATURALLY.’
Now the actors’ strikes have come to an end too, planning and production for Yellowjackets’ third season is expected to get back underway.
Release: The third season of Yellowjackets was disrupted due to the strikes, but writers got back to work on the series in October after the writers’ strikes came to an end
DEADPOOL 3
Deadpool 3 was another hotly-anticipated release which was delayed by the strikes, but fans will be eagerly awaiting its arrival in cinemas.
The latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series was slated for release in May 3, 2024, but Deadline claimed it is unlikely to meet its release date.
The film – starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman – was only halfway finished when production was halted in July due to the Screen Actors Guild walkout.
Director Shawn Levy recently cast doubt on them being finished in time to make the release date.
He told The Wrap: ‘I wish I knew. I don’t even know if we officially have [a release date]. I know we were gonna be May 3.
‘Certainly, the actors’ strike and the long pause in production have put that release date in true risk. We’ve shot half the movie. I’ve edited half the movie. We’re dying to get back to work and get this movie out next year.’
It has not yet been confirmed whether the film will make its May release date, or if it will be pushed back to later in 2024.
Delays: Deadpool 3 was another hotly-anticipated release which was delayed by the strikes, but fans will be eagerly awaiting its arrival in cinemas soon
Halted: The film – starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman (pictured in The Wolverine) – was only halfway finished when production was halted in July due to the actors’ walkout
BEETLEJUICE 2
The upcoming sequel to the beloved horror film Beetlejuice had been filming in Vermont when the actors’ strikes were announced in July.
The Tim Burton-directed flick is set to come out in September 2024, and will see a whole host of familiar faces returning to their beloved roles.
But fans hopefully won’t have to wait long to watch Beetlejuice 2 as director Tim Burton revealed the film was ’99 per cent done’ when production shut down.
He said they had a mere two days of filming left before the actors’ strike disrupted the final days of filming for the release.
Tim told The Independent: ‘I feel grateful we got what we got… We know what we have to do. It is 99 percent done.’
The film will see Michael Keaton reprise his role as Betelgeuse, while Winona Ryder will return as Lydia Deetz, and Jenna Ortega will join the cast as Deetz’s daughter.
It’s back! Fans hopefully won’t have to wait long for the upcoming sequel to the horror film Beetlejuice as Tim Burton said filming was ’99 per cent done’ when production shut down
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY
Writers on the award-winning mockumentary sitcom were due to start working on May 2, but the first day was cancelled due to the writers’ strike.
The third season was given the green light in January and writers returned to the writer’s room in October when the first set of strikes ended.
Creator Quinta Brunson revealed some changes that will be in store due to the delays from the strikes.
She told Deadline: ‘Our season will still be on the school calendar. [But] last year, we started airing in September, when school started. We’re not doing that this year.’
‘It’s not like coming back to a family show where you can pop in on that family on any sitcom-y thing. It’s really like, what’s going on in the school?’
She also confirmed that the upcoming season will have ‘fewer episodes’ than its previous instalments due to the strike and the airing schedule.
But she looked on the bright side as she said: For me, I welcomed a shorter season because it was tiring, exhausting work. Love it, but exhausting for me.’
Changes: Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson confirmed that the third series will have fewer episodes due to delays from the strikes
GLADIATOR SEQUEL
Ridley Scott recently revealed that he has been editing the 90 minutes of footage he was able to capture for Gladiator 2 before the Hollywood strikes.
The filmmaker had been shooting for the long-awaited Gladiator sequel in Morocco when filming was shut down due to the strikes.
The upcoming film, which is expected to debut in late 2024, is a sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 film Gladiator, which was a critical and commercial hit.
The historical epic grossed five times its budget, and it helped cement the stardom of Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.
Gladiator won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.
While the new film brings back director Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe won’t be featured, as his character died at the end of the original film.
Paul Mescal will be leading the new film as Lucius, the nephew of the emperor Commodus (Phoenix) and the secret son of Crowe’s character Maximus, who was saved in the original film by his father.
He was played as a child in the first film by Spencer Treat Clark, but the Irish actor will be taking over the part.
Moving forward: Ridley Scott has been editing the 90 minutes of footage he was able to get for Gladiator 2 before the Hollywood strikes (pictured: Russell Crowe in the original film)
New faces: While the new film brings back director Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe won’t be featured and Paul Mescal will be leading the new film as Lucius
YELLOWSTONE
The final instalment of Yellowstone featuring Kevin Costner’s final episodes has been delayed until November 2024.
Originally scheduled to return this month, Paramount said production was delayed by this year’s strikes by actors and screenwriters.
The first half of the fifth season debuted in November 2022, but fans will be waiting around a year for the final instalment.
While it is not known exactly how many episodes season five will run for, the next chapter was set to run for six episodes.
Yellowstone has been a phenomenon for Paramount Network. The premiere episode of season five was watched by 12.1 million people, more than for any other scripted series airing at the time.
Yellowstone is a contemporary Western drama that follows the Duttons, a wealthy family in Montana that owns the largest ranch in the United States. Its patriarch is John Dutton III, played by Kevin Costner.
New release date: The final instalment of Yellowstone featuring Kevin Costner ‘s final episodes – has been delayed until November 2024
IT ENDS WITH US
The movie adaptation of Coleen Hoover’s novel It Ends With Us was put on an indefinite hiatus amid the strikes.
The romantic comedy, starring Blake Lively, stopped filming in New Jersey and shut down production in June.
According to Deadline, less than half of the movie had been completed at the time it was shut down.
It Ends With Us follows a fresh college graduate named Lily, played by Blake, after she moves to Boston and decides to start her own business.
After the new beginning, she meets a handsome neurosurgeon named Ryle (Justin Baldoni) and falls for him despite his aversion to committed relationships.
As their romance unfolds, she runs into her first love, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) and his reappearance makes her begin to question everything.
A release date for the romantic drama had previously not yet been announced as production only began in June, before it was halted.
Best-selling book: The movie adaptation of Coleen Hoover’s novel It Ends With Us, starring Blake Lively, was put on an indefinite hiatus amid the strikes
Plot: It Ends With Us follows a fresh college graduate named Lily, played by Blake, after she moves to Boston and decides to start her own business
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD
Unlike other blockbuster releases, which have been delayed due to the strikes, it has been speculated that Captain America: Brave New World’s release could be brought back forward.
Deadpool was only halfway finished when actors walked out in July, and it has been claimed that the new Captain America movie could take its release date.
Since Captain America: Brave New World was further along, it’s been suggested that the film could move back to its original May 3 release date to fill the Deadpool gap.
The film is currently scheduled for July 26, 2024, after it was pushed back
The film will see Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson stepping into the title role for the first time after Chris Evans stepped down as Captain America in Avengers: Endgame.
The Avengers veteran, who entered the franchise as The Falcon, accepted the shield in the Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Harrison Ford will also step into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the film as he is set to star as Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, a role originated by the late William Hurt.
Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson, who originated their parts as Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, will reprise their roles in Brave New World.
Sooner? Unlike other blockbuster releases, it has been speculated that Captain America: Brave New World’s release could be brought back forward (pictured: Star Anthony Mackie)
Cast: Harrison Ford will also step into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the film as he is set to star as Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, alongside Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson
BLADE
Marvel Studios shut down preproduction on its vampire thriller Blade in May when the writers’ strikes first kicked off.
The movie, starring Mahershala Ali, was due to start filming in June in Atlanta, but was postponed due to the Hollywood strikes.
Blade had reportedly hired True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto to work on the script, but an insider claimed that ‘time simply ran out’.
It is not known whether production has resumed yet, but director Yann Demange recently said that Blade will be the MCU’s second R-rated movie after Deadpool.
He said: ‘For Blade, we are going to have fun because Mahershala is such a deep actor. I’m excited to show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has, that allows him to walk the earth in a particular way.
‘I love him for that. He’s got a dignity and integrity, but there is a ferocity there that he usually keeps under the surface. I want to unleash that and put it on the screen.’
Projects: Marvel Studios shut down preproduction on its vampire thriller Blade, starring Mahershala Ali, in May when the writers’ strikes first kicked off
Stranger ThingsYellowjacketsBeetlejuiceAI
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