Don’t expect to find anyone chanting “Long live the fighters” at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con next week. Unfortunately,Dune: Part Twowon’t be featured at the annual event as a result of the burgeoning Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike.
According to a story published byDeadline, Legendary Entertainment was slated to occupy Hall H in order to unveil bothDune: Part Twoand their Monsterverse panels at 11 a.m. PDT on the third full day of the comic convention. However, the SAG-AFTRA strike has reportedly canceled Legendary’s plans on Saturday, July 22.Dune: Part Twois scheduled to hit theaters on November 3, so it’s natural to assume that director Denis Villeneuveand some of the cast would have made an appearance at Comic-Con.
And withGodzilla x Kong: The New Empirecurrently scheduled to make its way into cinemas on June 24, 2025, Legendary could have possibly surprised attendees with a sneak peek at the next installment of their Monsterverse featuring the Godzilla and King Kong rivalry. However, with the writers and actors now protesting, it’s safe to assumeGodzilla x Kong’srelease date will get bumped. It’s also worth noting that, at the time of this writing, there was no new information posted to Legendary’s official Twitter account to corroborate the Comic-Con panel’s cancelation.
Related:Dune: Part Two: Burning Questions We Want Answered in the Sequel
The SAG-AFTRA Strike Thwarts Dune: Part Two’s Comic-Con Appearance
Timothée Chalamet andZendayaboth return as Paul Atreides and Chani respectively in the sequel to 2021’s immensely successful and Oscar-winningDune. There’s no doubt thatDune: Part Twowould have benefited from appearances by Chalamet and Zendaya, at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, in terms of publicity and in promoting director Villeneuve’s sequel. Their absence is also a huge loss for the fandom surrounding the science fiction adventure.
And while the SAG-AFTRA strike is meant to be a weapon against the studios, it is the fans who arguably suffer the most when celebrities don’t put in appearances at conventions. Fans go to great lengths and pay exorbitant amounts of money to attend San Diego Comic-Con, so it’s disappointing when the stars don’t show up. Florence Pugh joins the sequel as Princess Irulan, and the House Corrino character is an integral part of author Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel,Dune. However, Pugh’s attendance at Comic-Con is highly unlikely since she walked out of the London premiere ofOppenheimerto show her support for the strike.
No spoilers here, for those who haven’t read the novel, but Irulan plays an important part in Paul Atreides’ life. And the introduction of actor Austin Butler as the knife-wielding Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (famously played by Sting in 1984’sDune) inDune: Part Twowill also give Paul a deadly new adversary. But thanks to the strike, don’t look for Chalamet and his fellowDune: Part Twocast members in San Diego.
