The highly acclaimed “Oppenheimer” experienced an early exit at its London premiere on Thursday due to the Hollywood actors’ union’s first major strike in over 40 years. Renowned stars like Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Cillian Murphy, and Florence Pugh graced the red carpet outside the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square cinema before leaving prior to the film’s showing. Director Christopher Nolan informed the audience inside the theater about their departure and expressed his support for their participation in the upcoming strike led by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Nolan emphasized the importance of fair wages for union members and their solidarity with the Writers Guild.
SAG-AFTRA, comprising around 160,000 members, initiated the strike after failed negotiations with Hollywood studios for a new film and television contract. The strike, commencing on the West Coast at midnight last Friday, added the actors’ union to the ongoing picket lines of the Writers Guild of America since early May. This simultaneous strike by both actors and writers is the first occurrence since 1960. The Screen Actors Guild last went on strike in 2000 but regarding their commercials contract, making this the first strike specifically targeting the film and television deal since 1980.
Under the strike rules issued by the union on Thursday, actors are prohibited from promoting their work through premieres, interviews, personal appearances, conventions, fan expos, or festivals. Matt Damon, expressing his support for the strike, acknowledged the difficulties it would bring to sister unions like the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), representing below-the-line film and TV workers. Damon emphasized the significance of a fair deal for working actors, citing access to healthcare as a crucial factor. The residuals from streaming services and the utilization of artificial intelligence are among the key concerns for both actors and writers.
In response to the strike, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, representing major Hollywood studios including Paramount, released a statement affirming that the strike was the union’s choice, not theirs. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, in a news conference, criticized the studios for claiming financial struggles while allocating significant sums to their CEOs, stating that the studios stood on the wrong side of history.
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