Deadpool 3 Stops Production, Release Date Being Pushed Back?
Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, production on Deadpool 3 has been halted with the very real possibility that its release date will be altered, though that will depend upon the duration of the strike. SAG-AFTRA, the screen actors guild, has joined WGA, the Writers Guild of America, which has been on strike since May 2. Both professional organizations are seeking better compensation and to protect their members against the encroachment of artificial intelligence, among other considerations.
The looming Actors’ Strike has halted production on Deadpool 3.
According to Variety, Deadpool 3 is one of the first big productions to be halted by the SAG-AFTRA strike, only a few days after releasing news and first looks. The film had managed to continue production without violating the writers guild strike since May, but with actors now on picket lines as well, there is no way for the film to continue on schedule.
The delay prefigures an essential Hollywood shutdown that will affect the entire industry and will last until a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) can be reached.
Recent announcements regarding Deadpool 3 have included the news that Jennifer Garner would be appearing in the film, reprising her role as Elektra. Garner originated the part in Daredevil in 2003 and was given her own film as the character, Elektra, in 2005.
While neither film met with much critical success or positive reception from audiences, Garner herself was never held to blame and people are surely excited at the possibility of her return.
Garner’s involvement is just one such reprise that will be included in Deadpool 3 with Hugh Jackman also set to return as Wolverine, an appearance that has been touted for months. Recent images from the set have included Jackman as Wolverine alongside Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, a sight fans have been eager to see since the X-Men star’s involvement was announced.
While SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher is adamant in her insistence that actors are not being treated fairly, AMPTP members like Disney CEO Bob Iger are maintaining that the deal they offered was fair.
The successful inclusion of X-Men side characters like Negasonic Teenage Warhead, whose portrayal was a reinvention and revelation for the character, helped fuel the return of everyone’s favorite adamantium-clawed loner.
But Deadpool 3, for all its whimsy and humor, now faces the very real roadblock soon to be hit by every production in the industry as the writers’ strike and the actors’ strike brings movies and TV series to a grinding halt.
While Deadpool 3 waits in the wings, the battle for the future of the film industry persists with the first major dual strike of this nature since 1960, the last time both writers and actors hit the picket lines.
The actors’ union had delayed their initial strike deadline after talks seemed to be progressing, but days later, it was clear that negotiations had again run out of gas. While SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher is adamant in her insistence that actors are not being treated fairly, AMPTP members like Disney CEO Bob Iger are maintaining that the deal they offered was fair.
While Deadpool 3 waits in the wings, the battle for the future of the film industry persists with the first major dual strike of this nature since 1960, the last time both writers and actors hit the picket lines. Of course, all parties involved want negotiations to be completed so that production can move forward, but neither side in either strike seems willing to budge just yet.
With the looming threat of A.I. and the ability to maintain health benefits and other needs on the line, these strikes represent a major inflection point for the film industry that will hopefully see a resolution soon.
