Deadpool 3 and Gladiator 2 cost $600,000 a week during filming halt

Production on several blockbuster films, including Gladiator 2 and Deadpool 3, which are currently filming in Malta and London, have been shut down due to an ongoing actors' strike. And the cost of the shutdown is enormous. According to a new report from Variety, the cost of keeping the soundstages containing the film's sets is estimated at $600,000 per week.

Actors are currently on strike, joining striking writers and members of the WGA union, following a deadlock in negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood studios last week. The union is demanding higher pay for actors, especially royalties for streaming work, and better regulation of the use of artificial intelligence to replicate actors’ likenesses.

The ongoing costs to the studios may help speed up negotiations, but Hollywood bosses are holding their ground. “There’s a level of expectation (from the unions) that’s unrealistic,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger. “They’re exacerbating a number of challenges that the industry already faces, and frankly, it’s very destructive.”

Bob Iger's reported earnings this year are $27 million.

Deadpool 3 is currently scheduled to be released on May 3, 2024, while Gladiator 2 is scheduled to be released on November 22, 2024. The shutdown may cause their releases to be delayed.