While it was widely expected that the ousting of director James Gunn from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise would lead to a delay in the production of the next installment, the Hollywood Reporter says the project is now officially on hold.
- According to THR, crew members that had been gathering to begin pre-production work on Vol. 3 have now been released, allowing them to look for other gigs.
- Since the film was not in active production, the team affected at this point is small.
- One of the crew members told the publication “The timeline has been pushed out” for the film, while another categorized the hold as a “regrouping,” suggesting it seems only temporary while Disney and Marvel find a new path forward sans Gunn.
- It’s worth noting that Disney never set an official release date for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, although reports indicate the film was gearing up to head into full pre-production mode this fall.
- This latest news follows reports that Walt Disney Studios head Alan Horn met with James Gunn, although he stood firm in his decision to remove the director despite an open letter from the franchise’s cast calling for his reinstatement.
- Disney had no comment when asked by THR.
