Highlights
- The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have finally ended, resulting in a favorable deal for actors, including pay increases and protections against AI exploitation.
- Productions of upcoming Star Wars shows like Andor season 2 and The Mandalorian season 4 were affected by the strike, causing delays in filming and release dates.
- The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew had already completed production before the strike but experienced delays. The untitled Rey Skywalker movie is still in early production, with casting expected in 202
- Ahsoka season 2 is waiting for an official greenlight.
Star Wars fans pretty much always have a small fortune of new shows to look forward to at any given moment these days. But things fell off schedule when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA members began striking for fair treatment in Hollywood. So what’s the deal with all the upcoming projects now that the writers and actors have reached respective deals with the studios?
The strike ended on November 8th, marking the longest actors’ strike to date at 118 days. But its length wasn’t its only significant factor. The labor dispute even prompted video game voice actors to hold a vote on whether to go on strike. Thankfully, this one ended with a favorable deal for the actors involved, including pay increases and protections against exploitation by studios using artificial intelligence. It’s excellent news for those involved, and now they can get back to creating the things they (hopefully) enjoy making. That includes Star Wars projects, of which there are a great many.
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Star Wars insider site Bespin Bulletin has compiled a list of the various upcoming shows in the franchise and their status now that the strike is over. For starters, Andor season 2 is already pretty far along in production. It began filming well before the strikes started and only had a few weeks to go once things went off. After filming a bit during the strike using only non-union actors, they had to stop once those parts were completed. Filming still has yet to resume, and the current projected release is late 2024 or even 2025, long past the original window of August 2024.
Up next is The Mandalorian season 4, which had initially aimed to begin production in September; that didn’t happen. But given how it was already shooting for a 2025 release, it’s likely in less of a rush than some other projects. It will likely still be released that same year, albeit later. Many fans have asserted that Katee Sackhoff’s Bo Katan should take over as The Mandalorian‘s protagonist since her story has become arguably more interesting (and the story of Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin already has a satisfying ending). So maybe this delay could give them more time to make that change happen. Notably, Pascal’s involvement may be entirely via his voice performance in season 4, just like it was with season 3, due to commitments with projects like Gladiator 2 and season 2 of The Last of Us.
For those worried about the upcoming series Skeleton Crew and The Acolyte, things are a little more optimistic, at least from a certain point of view. Both shows had already completed production before the strikes but were still delayed. The Sith-led series The Acolyte has no concrete release date, though speculation puts it possibly around August 2024. Meanwhile, Skeleton Crew, featuring Jude Law alongside a group of young stars, had been shooting for January of the same year, though that will likely give way to the Spring at the earliest.
Finally, the untitled Rey Skywalker movie starring Daisy Ridley is still in super early production, with even the script’s draft having yet to be submitted. Casting was supposed to begin earlier this year, but that is now expected for sometime in 2024. Meanwhile, those waiting on an update for Ahsoka season 2 will have to wait a bit longer, as the series is waiting for an official greenlight. This is all technically rumors, but it sounds pretty plausible. So, there’s a ton to look forward to. But Star Wars fans may want to step back and breathe for a bit.
Source: Bespin Bulletin