After a suitably long and incredibly creative press tour for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, it’s safe to say that over-the-top, splashy promotional campaigns are back in fashion. We’re talking about sending your actors to play with puppies over at BuzzFeed, 800 fashion partnerships, thematic red carpet styles—hell, if your movie doesn’t inspire an entire architectural masterpiece that’s aesthetically fit for its theme, just throw it all out.
But these press tours have to come to a halt, as a result of the Screen Actors Guild and Writers’ Guild of America strikes. These strikes are far more important than any press tour—in fact, the strikes should convince audiences to show up to the movies and watch their favorite shows now more than ever. Though there’s no promotional campaign to persuade you to watch something, the actors and writers still need our support for their work, as they continue to strike indefinitely; refusing to watch their work doesn’t help.
But as the studios and streamers continue to release new entertainment, we’re going to miss the glitzy red carpets, the introspective profiles, and the film festival appearances that these creatives usually grace us through the second half of the year. These press tours are hard work, though, and everyone in both SAG and WGA is rightfully striking to get better pay to continue working on these campaigns.
Don’t blame the actors, nor the writers, for their disappearance from movie promo this year. It’s up to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)—the group of studio heads that refuses to agree to a fair contract with the writers and actors—to agree to a fairer deal for the actors and writers responsible for the studios’ content, in order to get everyone working again.
Should AMPTP keep holding out on offering actors and writers a better deal, here's a list of how the fall promotional season could look different than ever before.
Going Back to School with Abbott Elementary
Though we’re still in the thick of summer, back-to-school time is almost here. Better break out that sharpener for a pencil bouquet. Unfortunately, while kids complete their summer reading assignments, there’s no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the adults in the room: Abbott Elementary will not return for its third season this fall without writers to whip up hilarious scripts and stars to film new episodes. Life can’t move forward without Janelle James as the terrible, self-centered Principal Coleman. Cancel the entire 2023-2024 school year. What’s the point?
Yorgos Lanthimos—Sans Emma Stone
Greek weirdo Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, The Lobster) is set to release his next ballistic film, Poor Things, on Dec. 8—a three-month push from its original Sept. 8 release. I’ll enjoy reading interviews with him discussing what will surely be another mind-bending masterpiece. But this is the second time he’s worked with Emma Stone, and it would be fun to see them talking about the film together. Plus, Stone looks magnificent in trailers for the movie. Alas, she’ll be striking. We haven’t seen Stone on a press tour since 2021’s Cruella—she’s earned a break, though we do miss her.
Say Goodbye to Flirty Threesome Bits from Challengers
Zendaya, Mike Faist (West Side Story), and Josh O’Connor (The Crown) are set to star in Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming tennis thriller, which looked to be the most sexually charged movie of the year—until MGM pulled it from its plum Venice Film Festival premiere spot in August and bumped it to April 2024, presumably because talent wouldn’t be able to promote it.
The film starts in the past, seeing Zendaya’s superstar tennis player having a threesome with her boyfriend (O’Connor) and his best friend (Faist). Then, it zooms to the present day, where she is now married to her ex-boyfriend’s best friend, and the ex-boyfriend seeks revenge. We can already tell that these three have incomparable chemistry together. For the love of tennis, we should be seeing them horny on a press tour together—and hopefully we will next year, now that we’re forced to wait.
Where Is Everyone at the Emmys?
The Emmys were initially scheduled for Sept. 18—but by the end of July everyone realized that there was a fat chance of that happening as planned. SAG and WGA members are not allowed to attend awards shows while on strike, so the Television Academy has postponed this year’s Emmys indefinitely as the union conflicts are hopefully sorted out.
Think of everything we could miss if the Television Academy does eventually press on without the studios and unions coming to an agreement: If a final Succession sweep happens, we won’t get to see any of the deserving actors accept their awards in person. How depressing, especially considering there are a lot of Emmy awards that go to lesser-known stars and creatives, not mega-famous A-list celebs with mansions. They deserve their public due, and if the strike is still going, the Emmys ought to be postponed until the unions’ contracts are resolved.
A Kick-Ass Duo We’ll Miss Out on
Ethan Coen has his first-ever solo directorial effort due out on Sept. 22 with his comedy road trip flick Drive-Away Dolls. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan appear to be an already iconic duo—could you imagine coordinated red carpet ’fits? Well, toss that image in the trash. These up-and-coming stars (Viswanathan especially) should be the talk of the town in September. Unfortunately, they’ll have to do so with their mouths shut.
Who the Hell Will Be on Dancing With the Stars?
Dancing With the Stars returns to Disney+ this fall, along with a handful of other reality series that feature celebrities. (The Masked Singer, Celebrity Jeopardy!, and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, to name a few.) But how will celebrities participate in the midst of a SAG strike—and what about hosts? Per Deadline, participating in these shows doesn’t count as flouting the strike, so actors can participate. Still, though, there’s a chance that most actors steer clear of these competition shows in uncertain times.
With that thought in mind, we could be looking at a DWTS lineup with folks akin to past contestants Sean Spicer, Carole Baskin, and Olivia Jade. How about DWTS contestant James Charles? Woof. That said, things could swing in the opposite direction: If Julia Roberts and George Clooney can’t make any new movies for the foreseeable future, why not try being dance partners on DWTS?
A Quiet Fall Film Festival Circuit
Around mid-September, we’ll be in the thick of the fall film festival circuit. The Venice Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, and Telluride Film Festival all take place that month, with the New York Film Festival running into October. A number of films are expected to make their debuts at fall festivals: Michael Mann’s Ferrari, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, for example. But these big premieres will be so much less fun without the glitzy red carpets and occasional press conference snafu. Plus, film festivals are wonderful spots for smaller films to get some attention—except SAG and WGA members won’t get to attend the premieres of their newest projects. (On the flip side, at least we’ll still get to see non-American, non-SAG actors on the red carpets. Hopefully, they’re doing so for a fair wage.)
Marty Will Fly Solo For Killers of the Flower Moon
Luckily, we already got to see star Lily Gladstone walk the red carpet at the premiere of Killers of the Flower Moon at Cannes earlier this year. But I was expecting her to receive a full-throttle campaign for Best Supporting Actress. Unfortunately, Gladstone and the rest of the team behind Killers of the Flower Moon will have to sit this one out if a deal isn’t reached by Oct. 20, when the film is slated to release; it’s disappointing, as this is a big moment for the lesser-known actress. At least we’ll get some great interviews with Martin Scorsese—so long as no one asks him those pesky questions about Marvel movies.
No Double Press Tour for Timothée Chalamet
Any opportunity for Timothée Chalamet to appear in the public light is an excuse to celebrate. Last year, the actor did a press tour for his cannibal romance film Bones and All, where he said this zinger at the Venice Film Festival: “It’s tough to be alive right now.” He was referring to the TikTok generation. He continued, “I think societal collapse is in the air—or it smells like it—and, without being pretentious, that’s why hopefully movies matter, because that’s the role of the artist… to shine a light on what’s going on.” Indeed: Societal collapse is in the air, if we can’t see Chalamet promoting Dune 2 and Wonka, two very different (and yet equally exciting) films.
Bye, Bye, Bridgerton
Whenever a new season of Bridgerton releases, I submerge myself in the material. I read every interview with the cast—particularly those with the two romantic leads. I love to see how they developed their chemistry, and how they interact with each other in the real world. Season 3 is expected to release this fall on Netflix and is set to follow Penelope’s slow burn with Colin. Dearest reader, the world needs to see Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton in flirtatious clips online. Her character’s been pining after his for three years now—she’s earned a big, wild, romantic season.
No More Hunger Games Fever
The prequel to The Hunger Games is set to release on Nov. 17, and while I’m not sure if the rest of the world is ready for the ships and OTPs to return, I sure am. Bring back the arguments over Gale vs. Peeta! The Hunger Games movies jumpstarted Jennifer Lawrence’s A-list celebrity career, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes should do the same for co-stars Hunter Schafer, Rachel Zegler, and Tom Blyth. They should be given the chance to sport flaming-hot dresses on the red carpet, promote new exclusive songs from pop stars (The Hunger Games soundtracks included tracks from Taylor Swift and Lorde), and celebrate the release of a new Hunger Games movie with the rest of us.
Will Joaquin Phoenix Ever Explain His Napoleon Accent?
Everyone but Joaquin Phoenix has an accent in the trailer for Napoleon. We’re dying to know: Why didn’t he go French for the role? A long-winded profile about how Phoenix became Napoleon Bonaparte would be an interesting read. Too bad Joaquin Phoenix can’t do that to try and leverage himself into Oscar #2. Hopefully he’ll be back on the road by the time Joker: Folie à Deux is out next year.
The Scandalous Flirting Between Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell Goes Private
This one hurts. Will Gluck’s (Easy A) new rom-com Anyone But You is set to land in theaters this December. Stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell were seen canoodling all over the place as the film shot in Australia and, right after filming, Powell called things off with his girlfriend. Is there some romantic tension between the stars in real life? It would’ve been nice to see these two flirting in press clips; alas, the studios’ unwillingness to settle with SAG will prevent them from doing so. Even if these two were faking their real-life feelings, they deserve a raise (and equal pay) for such convincing performances.
Oscars Campaigning Will Be Halted
Oscar-bait movies usually start releasing near the end of September as a part of the fall film festival circuit. But, seeing as the WGA strike has already lasted two months, the joint strike could go on through the whole campaign season. This would mean that the big push for Oscars—including profiles and interesting features like Variety’s “Actors on Actors” segment—would be canceled. This would make for an interesting year for Academy voters, who may be forced to not let actors’ campaigns sway them into making their picks as is often thought to be the case.
Instead of thinking about all the repercussions, let’s do everything we can to prevent this from happening. Hopefully, by showing our support for workers in search of better, more equitable labor conditions—which is what actors and writers really are, fame aside—some of the events on this list will be salvaged.
