The SAG-AFTRA strike was a long and treacherous road for thousands of actors, regardless of caliber or location. The general public was also often fatigued by empty promises regarding release dates of their favorite show’s newest season and other highly anticipated projects being shelved or canceled. Since SAG-AFTRA has now come to a tentative agreement with major studios and voted to end the strike, an influx of movies and television shows are being newly revealed as “in the works.” Here is a short guide that navigates some of the most recently announced movies and television shows:
- Fear Street Part Four
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Netflix’s highly successful Fear Street film series will be receiving a fourth installment. This movie in particular is rumored to have a change in directing, with current director Leigh Janiak passing the torch to Chloe Okuno (director of Watcher and V/H/S/94), although nothing has been publicly confirmed. Many details circulating this movie remain ambiguous, but Netflix film head Scott Stuber calls it a “standalone extension,” indicating a sense of individuality, which is certainly turning heads.
- Untitled Noah Baumbach Project
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Noah Baumbach (director of Marriage Story), who recently co-wrote Barbie alongside wife and fellow director Greta Gerwig, is set to direct a Netflix film described to be a “Jerry Maguire-esque…great life-affirming movie with two big movie stars.” The end of that quote has cinephiles wide-eyed and theorizing, only gathering more noise around the film. The untitled project is only now being planned in pre-production, as far as the general public knows.
- John Wick Anime
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Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick franchise, has confirmed that a John Wick anime project is in the works and hints that it will be a series. It’s unclear through which endeavors the audience will be following Wick, but this announcement is a feat for action and animation fans alike.
- Untitled Hannibal Epic
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A currently untitled film directed by Antoine Fuqua (director of The Equalizer) is being produced by Netflix. It stars Denzel Washington playing Hannibal, not the famous cannibal from The Silence of the Lambs, but rather the Cathagrian general who led forces through battle circa 264 B.C.E. Not much is known about the film thus far, but any promise of Denzel Washington is sure to attract generations of audience members to the theater. It’s to be filmed in Italy and currently sits in pre-production.
- Two Neighbors
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This dark comedy stars Anya Chalotra (The Witcher), Chloe Cherry (Euphoria), and Ralph Ineson (Harry Potter and Guardians of the Galaxy) and will be produced independently. It follows a writer who can barely stay afloat and becomes incredibly jealous of a seemingly perfect woman whom she meets at a party. The film then takes quite a fantastical turn as they both cross paths with a magical, modernized genie who strives to grant them wishes. Filming has recently wrapped, sending the team into post-production.
- Arcane Season 2
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Netflix’s highly acclaimed animated series Arcane has been renewed for a second season. It won four Primetime Emmys and received several additional nominations. Although fans are crushed to hear season two will not be out in the world until November of 2024, the newest teaser is hopefully enough to keep them occupied for a while.
In the modern entertainment industry, people know now more than ever that everything can change in the blink of an eye. Whether it’s a strike carried out by a union or one bestowed upon us by a global pandemic, decisions regarding release dates and renewal information for movies and television shows can be completely flipped or further postponed. After the conclusions of both the WGA strike and the SAG-AFTRA strike, an abundance of new projects are being announced, riling up audiences everywhere. Whatever happens in the days to come, any movie or television show is capable of brightening people’s lives through a simulated escape from reality, and that’s the beauty of the entertainment industry.