The list of projects that are ceasing productions while the two unions remain steadfast continues to grow. This includes big franchises.
While this may get repetitive since nearly every film production is shutting down per the actors’ strike, there are notable big-budget tentpole films that find themselves in the middle of the trouble. It was already reported that Gladiator 2 and Mortal Kombat 2 were halted as soon as the actors’ strike took effect. Then, Deadpool 3 would follow as the next major franchise project to shut down, which is unfortunate timing since Hugh Jackman would tease a set pic featuring him in a full-on Wolverine comic-accurate costume. Inevitably, fans had been spreading the pic and posting fan art merely hours after the reveal as the comic’s loyalists’ excitement shot up even more for the sequel.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, two more follow-ups to blockbusters have ceased production amid the strike. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, which had been filming back-to-back with this week’s release, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, has shut down. The ambitious two-part project had already experienced delays due to COVID. However, despite being filmed in conjunction with Part One, the production is as grand as ever as it films in multiple locations and even features scenes on an aircraft carrier. Furthermore, the film’s star, Tom Cruise, insists on practical filming, so the complicated process likely doesn’t allow for a swift filming schedule.
Some of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two‘s filming locations included more Italian cities after Part One took place in both Rome and Venice. Part Two recently had Cruise flying to Bari, which is the capital city of the Apulia region. Cruise and company were filming at the exotic location for a coastal shoot. Another blockbuster follow-up, Venom 3, just started filming in the Cartagena neighborhood of Los Mateos in Spain. The commencement was marked by Tom Hardy, who returns as the film’s star, when he posted a photo on his Instagram from location. The timing for this is comparable to Deadpool 3 as the movie just started filming a couple weeks ago.
Marvel has a ton of projects on its slate, even though it’s now planned that Bob Iger will be scaling back on the quantity. With the shutdowns, Marvel heads, Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito shared an email with the staff that stated, “We recognize how much you’ve all done on your specific projects and it’s disappointing when carefully laid plans have to shift, but constant change is the nature of the production business, and our teams are no stranger to unexpected challenges and rising to meet them. We deeply appreciate all your efforts to make the best of the situation, and we can all hope that a new agreement will be finalized soon so we can resume the great work we have in process.”
