In Hollywood, the cameras stand still… For the first time since 1960, members of two important unions from the film and series industry in the United States went on strike at the same time. The screenwriters in the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike in early May, and now the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), to which many actresses belong, is also following. As a result, numerous large productions cannot be continued for the time being.
Many Hollywood blockbusters and new seasons of popular series, for which the script was already completed and which cannot be assigned to reality TV, will inevitably be delayed. Previously, productions were mostly affected that had to do without showrunners and authors and could not yet be shot due to a lack of scripts, among other things – including “Cobra Kai”, “Emily in Paris”, “Yellowjackets”, “Severance” and “1923”. The Duffer brothers Matt and Ross announced that work on the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” would not be possible during the writers’ strike.
In the coming months, a large number of previously planned launch dates are likely to be postponed. And not only for films and series that are shot in the USA, but also in other parts of the world. For example, productions in other countries cannot continue work on the set if US actors and actresses play important roles in them.
“We’ve always said, ‘If the circus leaves town, what kinds of domestic productions will we have?'” Variety quoted an anonymous British union executive as saying. “Large parts of Europe and Australia will be in the same situation and it will have a global impact.”
In addition, there is currently the question: Will performers who do not belong to SAG-AFTRA and international stars also join the strikes out of solidarity? According to an anonymous agent who represents great British actors, there are similar conversations among actors in Great Britain.
On the other hand, the new strike could result in some actors and actresses losing roles. This was pointed out by an anonymous source in a management position at a large European manufacturing company. For example, if you have a production in Europe where only two US artists have key roles and all other cast members are not SAG-AFTRA, the question arises: “Will work on the film be stopped or will these roles be filled with European non-SAG -AFTRA actors replaced?” Then it will probably depend entirely on the stars – and whether an early strike is in sight.
On paper, the double strike has made it sort of impossible to work on even one major production in the US. But things are also looking bleak for the time being for internationally produced series and films with US stars. Streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney may therefore have to rely more on series and films, reality formats and non-US productions in which no members of the American union are involved in the coming months.
According to the report, there may be delays in a series adaptation of the sci-fi franchise “Alien”, which is currently in pre-production in Thailand. There are members of the US union and the British union Equity in the cast. The situation is similar with the third season of the HBO hit “The White Lotus”, which was also to be shot in Thailand. The production had to be paused due to the writers’ strike. Now there is also the fact that the probability is very high that parts of the cast are also SAG-AFTRA members.
Large film productions that are not shot in the USA and that are affected include Ridley Scott’s (85) “Gladiator 2” with Hollywood darling Pedro Pascal (48) and Irish actor Paul Mescal (27) In the main role. The film was last shot in Morocco and is expected to be released in cinemas at the end of 2024. In addition, the industry magazine cites “Mortal Kombat 2” (Australia) and the series “The Day of the Jackal” (Europe) with Eddie Redmayne (41) as further examples.
Meanwhile, Tom Cruise (61) may have just come to the cinema with “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”, but the second “Dead Reckoning”, which is scheduled to start in summer 2024, has not yet been completely turned off. Director Christopher McQuarrie (54) recently confirmed “Collider” that part of the shoot in an international location is still pending. So there could be delays here too.
It is also questionable how blockbusters like the Marvel action “Deadpool 3” will continue. Production began in London in May, while Thunderbolts and Blade have been on hiatus since May.
