The SAG-AFTRA officially went on strike on Thursday (July 13) night, joining the ongoing writers’ strike against film and television studios and marking the first double shutdown in over 60 years.
According to the strike guidelines, almost all film and TV productions will shut down immediately. In addition, SAG-AFTRA members will not be allowed to attend premieres, award shows, or film festivals, nor promote their completed work via interviews and social media. They’re also not allowed to promote any past or present work made under a SAG contract at conventions such as Comic-Con.
“Earlier this morning, the SAG-AFTRA national board convened following four weeks of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, AMPTP,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of SAG-AFTRA in yesterday’s press conference.
He continued, “Because the AMPTP remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on key issues essential to protecting the livelihoods of working actors and performers, SAG-AFTRA’s national board unanimously voted to issue a strike order against the studios and streamers.”
As a result, numerous productions are now on hold indefinitely; among them are new seasons of Abbott Elementary, 1923, Outlander, Cobra Kai, Stranger Things, Saturday Night Live, and more.
However, not all productions are shutting down. According to Variety, HBO’s House of the Dragon will continue filming in the U.K. despite the U.S. shutdown. This is because the Game of Thrones spinoff series primarily comprises U.K. actors working under contracts governed by Equity, whose members are not legally allowed to strike in solidarity with the U.S. union.
“A performer joining the strike (or refusing to cross a picket line) in the U.K. will have no protection against being dismissed or sued for breach of contract by the producer or the engager,” Equity said in its guidance to members (per Variety). “Likewise, if Equity encourages anyone to join the strike or not cross a picket line, Equity itself will be acting unlawfully and hence liable for damages or an injunction.”
The same applies to HBO’s Industry and Max’s Dune spinoff series Dune: The Sisterhood, both of which operate under Equity rules. Both shows feature primarily Equity actors, with a few SAG members in the mix. While SAG members working on Equity productions can choose to boycott, strict anti-strike laws in the U.K. could see them sued.
According to Deadline, Dune: The Sisterhood is set to resume production in Budapest “any day now” and will continue throughout the WGA and SAG strikes.
Similarly to the WGA, the actors’ union was looking for increased compensation, specifically in regard to streaming residuals, as well as protections against the use of AI in film and TV productions.
During Thursday’s press conference, SAG said that the AMPTP’s “groundbreaking AI agreement” allowed for background extras’ likenesses to be used in perpetuity despite only being paid for one day’s work.
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher previously said they “negotiated in good faith” and were “eager to reach a deal” but that the AMPTP’s responses were “insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry.”
“The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us. Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal,” Drescher said.
Speaking on Thursday, Drescher said the strike is “a very serious thing” that “impacts thousands, if not millions, of people all across this country and around the world.”
“And so, it came with great sadness that we came to this crossroads, but we had no choice,” she added. “We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people we have been business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they’re losing money left and right when giving hundreds and millions of dollars to their CEOs.”
She continued, “It is disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment. We stand in solidarity in unprecedented unity. Our union and our sister union and the unions around the world are standing by us as well as other labor unions because, at some point, the jig is up.”