Dune: Part Two, Abbott Elementary, and Jury Duty Comic-Con Panels Canceled Amid Actors' Strike
Even more major San Diego Comic-Con panels have been officially canceled, amid the now-ongoing Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. On Friday, Legendary Entertainment announced that it will no longer be holding its panel, which was set to be held in the main Hall H stage at 11:00am on Saturday, July 22nd. It has now been confirmed that the Legendary panel was expected to debut footage for this fall's Dune: Part Two, and feature appearances from the ensemble cast, which includes Timotheé Chalamet, Zendaya, and Austin Butler. Additionally, Comic-Con International's website has shown multiple other panels that are canceled, including spotlights for Amazon Freevee's Jury Duty and the upcoming horror film Mother, May I? on Thursday, The Strangers trilogy on Friday, and ABC's Abbott Elementary on Saturday. You can check out the full list of canceled panels (at this point) below.
Thursday, July 20
- Spotlight on Mariko Tamaki -- 11:00am, Room 32AB
- Behind the Scenes with the Cast of Jury Duty -- 1:45pm, Indigo Ballroom
- The Wheel of Time -- 2:00pm, Ballroom 20
- An Insider Look at Cruel Summer Season 2 -- 3:00pm, Indigo Ballroom
- Mother, May I? Featuring Holland Roden and Kyle Gallner -- 4:45pm, Room 6BCF
- Sesame Street Muppets Live! -- 5:30pm, Room 6A
- Major Wrestling Figure Podcast -- 6:00pm, Grand 12 & 13
Friday, July 21
- Spotlight on Jo Duffy -- 11:00am, Room 29AB
- Gen V -- 4:15pm, Ballroom 20
- New Rockstars (YouTube) -- 8:00pm, Room 6DE
- The Strangers Trilogy Exclusive First Look -- 8:30pm, Room 29CD
Saturday, July 22
- That '70s Show 25th Anniversary -- 10:00am, Indigo Ballroom
- Legendary Entertainment -- 11:00am, Hall H
- Orphan Black: Echoes -- 12:30pm, Room 6A
- Sid & Marty Krofft -- 1:00pm, Room 23ABC
- Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire Season 2 -- 3:45pm, Ballroom 20
Sunday, July 23
- Lights! Before Camera and Action -- 11:00am, Room 7AB
- Sesame Street Special Premiere -- 11:30am, Room 6BCF
Why Is the SAG-AFTRA Strike Impacting Comic-Con?
Under the current rules, striking SAG-AFTRA members are asked not to participate in ongoing film or television productions, meaning virtually all that were still filming amid the WGA strike will now be shut down. Members are also instructed not to promote any upcoming or past projects, campaign for Emmy or other acting awards, or attend the San Diego Comic-Con convention later this month, which is the cause for some of these panel cancelations.
Why Are SAG-AFTRA Going on Strike?
In a statement tied to the announcement, SAG-AFTRA representatives revealed that the strike is commencing after four weeks of negotiations with the AMPTP, and an existing negotiation extension from June 30th to July 12th. Back in May, SAG-AFTRA's national board unanimously agreed to send an authorization vote to members, with and 97.91 percent of members ultimately voting in favor to authorize.
"Yesterday our union celebrated the 90th anniversary of the incorporation of Screen Actors Guild," Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator said during a press conference. "During our nearly century long existence we've fought for and achieved countless gains for working actors. Today, we embark on a new important chapter in our unions history. Earlier this morning, the SAG-AFTRA national board convened following four weeks of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers in a meeting, because AMPTP remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on key issues essential to protecting the livelihoods of working actors and performers. SAG AFTRA as national board unanimously voted to issue a strike order against the studios and streamers."
What do you think of the new panel cancelations at San Diego Comic-Con 2023? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!