Hollywood was mostly shut down for vacations and the holiday, but there was some significant TV and movie news, which we round up here.
Marvel Studios has pushed back the release dates of seven Disney+ TV shows due to the dual strikes currently paralyzing Hollywood and a general scaling-back by Disney+, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Many of the shows were originally announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 (see “Marvel TV Round-Up“). The affected shows and the changes are:
The second season of animated series What If…? will now launch around Christmas Day 2023; it was originally planned for early 2023. The first season debuted in August 2021 (see “’What If…?’ Trailer“). The Watcher will once again be voiced by Jeffrey Wright.
Hawkeye spinoff Echo, originally planned for November 29, will now debut in January 2024. The series features Hawkeye antagonist Maya Lopez, played by Alaqua Cox
Animated series X-Men ‘97, originally planned for Fall 2023, will now drop in early 2024. Season 2, originally announced last year, is still in the works, according to the report.
WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, starring Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness, is making a big move later to early Fall 2024, leading into the Halloween season. It was originally planned for a Winter 2023 launch. This is the third title for the series, which was previously titled Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Agatha: House of Harkness.
Ironheart, starring Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, has been taken off the schedule; it was originally scheduled for Fall 2023. The show has finished shooting but cannot be completed due to the strikes.
Daredevil: Born Again, continuing the Netflix series, and Wonder Man, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, have both paused production due to the strikes.
The only Marvel Studios show to launch this fall will be Loki Season 2, which will debut October 6. The first season was the most-watched Marvel series on Disney+, and the Season 2 trailer (see “’Loki’ S2 Trailer“) had the most views of any Disney+ series. A second Season 2 trailer was just released on Labor Day (see below).
British theater producer John Gore has acquired Hammer Films and Studios, according to Variety, and plans to breathe new life into the studio with further investment. There is also a substantial library to exploit, including the studio’s classic horror films and many other genre releases (see “Hammer Complete“).
Source: ICV2
