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Hollywood’s ongoing double strike by writers and actors has already shut down some of the most anticipated TV shows and movies currently in production. As studios burn through material they’ve already accumulated in anticipation of the strike and plan what will likely be a reality-heavy fall and spring, a number of anticipated films have already been put on hold while negotiations continue.
That means fans will have to wait a little longer Deadpool 3the live action Lilo & Stitchthe video game adaptation starring Jason Momoa Minecraftthe second part of Mission Impossible – Dead Payback and many others. It also means production has been halted on nearly every US-based TV show that wasn’t already on ice due to the writers’ strike that began on May 2; SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors, announcers, journalists, dancers, DJs, writers/editors, puppeteers, singers, stuntmen and other media professionals, is on strike on July 14.
So how will the first dual actor/writer since 1960 factor into the upcoming awards and TV series/movies with some of your favorite music stars?
“Musicians who are members of SAG-AFTRA are equally subject to the rules around the strike – we cover singers in the music industry as well as singers from the film/TV/streaming side and some TV journalists – and when a member is working on a project as an actor, then the rules mean they are unable to promote that project, even if they are better known as a singer or recording artist,” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, National Executive and Chief Negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, says billboard.
The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, for example, announced a September 12 air date back in May. And while the show is still in the early stages of planning to be broadcast from the Prudential Center in New Jersey, a spokesman did not comment at press time when asked how the strike might affect the show — whether it could cause the production to be moved to another date or move forward with an unscripted show, as the Tony Awards did in June in the midst of what was then simply the writers’ strike.
At press time, CBS had not announced how it would handle next year’s Grammy Awards, CMT Music Awards or Kennedy Center Awards if the strike extends into 2024.
One of the trickier scenarios for an awards show like the VMAs is that they’re covered by a different SAG-AFTRA contract — so Crabtree-Ireland says they can go on, and the dancers, entertainers and announcers covered by SAG-AFTRA can work on the broadcast. But members who are not working on the production and are there to present or receive awards cannot promote anything created under the existing contract. However, the MTV Movie & TV Awards, which took place in April, are a different story.
Crabtree-Ireland says members cannot accept any remuneration made under the existing contract, although they could technically accept it in absentia as long as they do not appear to receive it. “The point is that they should not facilitate any promotion of work done under this contract, which includes going to an awards show and accepting an award,” he says, noting that it is “virtually impossible” to find a workaround because the rules require artists to skip the red carpet, interviews and going on stage to receive their award.
While both sides are digging in their heels and a resolution seems a long way off right now, a number of Showtime/Paramount+ music-related shows have already wrapped and received premiere dates. Among them are: I Wanna Rock: The Metal Dream of the 80s (July 18), Mixtape (August 1), Rediscovering Elvis: The 68 Comeback (August 15) and All up in business, a Biz Markie biopic that premiered at the Tribeca Festival last month; the latter will debut on Paramount+/Showtime on August 11. At press time, a spokesperson said no firm air dates had yet been announced for another pair of music docs that premiered at Tribeca, the Latin American diaspora From the street and the biopic Dear Vanilla (in which this writer appears.)
Likewise, spokesperson for the Lil Dicky FXX comedy series Dave said it was too early to know how the dual strikes would affect the show, which ended its third season on May 31. Meanwhile, reality and scripted shows filmed outside the US can continue production thanks to another union contract, while US-based reality shows, game shows and most daytime talk shows (and soap operas) should also be unaffected.
As Crabtree-Ireland points out, the actors immediately stopped appearing in public or walking the carpet at their movie premieres, leading to an awkward scene recently when none of the Disney cast Haunted Mansion — which includes Jared Leto, Tiffany Haddish, Rosario Dawson and Danny DeVito, among others — showed up to help launch the film adaptation of the Disneyland ride.
For artists who want to promote their already completed shows and movies that are still scheduled for release, during the strike they are not allowed to participate in the following promotional activities: previews, personal appearances, interviews, ComiCon/conventions/fan expos, spotlight events, award shows, junkets, podcasts, social media, panels, or premieres/screenings.
However, if they did interviews prior to the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike on July 14th and no additional consent or secondary interviews are required for a post with a long lead time, this is acceptable. “If the company has everything it needs to move forward [with a previously conducted promotional interview] this is in no way the fault of our members,” says Crabtree-Ireland. “But they shouldn’t be doing anything new right now.”
That omertà even extends to projects that have already come and gone, like HBO’s controversial musical drama The idol, in which he co-starred with singer Troye Sivan. While speaking recently with billboardthe “Rush” singer said he couldn’t discuss his work on the show starring The Weeknd — or his upcoming starring role in the coming-of-age film Three months — because of the strict strike rules. “I fully support the strike and I stand by everyone to wait it out and make sure everyone is treated fairly,” he said.
For what it’s worth, Crabtree-Ireland says Sivan handled this situation correctly, adding that artists are also expected to avoid promoting music made for film/TV/streaming under the SAG-AFTRA contract during the strike. It also notes that members who have recorded music under the contract have been asked to refrain from entering into new music licenses for those projects during the strike, other than possibly fulfilling contractual obligations to their label for a song tied to the soundtrack.
Crabtree-Ireland says SAG-AFTRA is also asking members not to approve any new songs for TV/film/streaming licensing and to stop any promotion of songs that have already been licensed for use.
In addition to freezing work on future projects, the strike has complicated the release of some long-awaited ones. Director John M. Chu revealed last week (July 19) that although he is almost done with Wicked movie musicals, all work is “on hold until the strike is over.” In an Instagram Story, Chu wrote, “We were only a few days away from being done so we were SO close. It was very painful to end it all, but we will be back! And we will finish strong when the time is right.”
Some fans thought filming on the adaptation starring Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch had wrapped, and Chu said the impact of the strike and production shutdown “shouldn’t” affect the previously announced release dates for the two-part film, which is slated for November 27, 2024 and November 26, 2025.
The Associated Press reported Monday (July 24) that director Luca Guadagnino’s tennis drama, Contenders, was pulled from the Venice Film Festival due to the actors’ strike. The film, starring Zendaya as a tennis coach embroiled in a love triangle, was set to open the festival on August 30 before hitting theaters on September 15. But due to the twin strikes, distributor MGM pushed back the opening date to April 26 next year.
“We look forward to celebrating the film when we can with our cast, director Luca Guadagnino and film crew at a later date,” MGM said in a statement.
However, the strike does not mean that all musical content will completely evaporate. NBC reported last week that The voice is still slated to return on September 25, with new judge Reba McEntire joining John Legend, Gwen Stefani and Niall Horan. In addition, the last two episodes of the current season of America is looking for talent will still air on September 26-27 and is the first ever Audience Choice for National Awards will air on September 28 with Little Big Town hosting.
Crabtree-Ireland says that generally the general parameters of what is and isn’t allowed during the strike are well understood by members, although there are some complexities and “weird combinations of things” that require tailored responses. That’s why SAG-AFTRA has created a dedicated email address to handle any strike-related questions from actors, agents, managers, production companies, and anyone else who is unsure of the dos and don’ts.
The strike has already shut down all late-night shows, taking away important couch and performance spots from bands and musicians looking to plug their upcoming tours and albums into film/TV projects. The show tonight, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show and Saturday Night Live are not currently scheduled to return until the strike is over, making for potentially one of the longest, most extensive hiatuses in recent history in late night, or in the film/TV industry as a whole, along with the pandemic-related delay of 2020-2021.
And in case you’re wondering: yes, social media counts. Crabtree-Ireland says the musicians, who are also acting, are banned from using their Twitter or Instagram accounts for promotional purposes for now.
With more than 160,000 SAG-AFTRA actors now on strike, joining an earlier strike by the 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America, many shows may not be back on the air anytime soon, and potential box office blockbusters are likely to be delayed or rescheduled repeatedly until the tense labor unrest ends.