Various ABC Shows, Including ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ And ‘American Idol’, Delayed Amid SAG-AFTRA And WGA Strikes

With SAG-AFTRA members already on strike against films and TV shows and voting now underway to authorize a separate strike against the video game industry, the guild’s leaders are saying that a dual strike, if it comes to that, “makes sense” because the issues at stake in both contracts “mirror” each other.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Labor Day is more than a long weekend of beaches, barbecues and block parties. It’s a national celebration marking the economic and social contributions of American workers. How ironic, then, that SAG-AFTRA members are observing this 141st Labor Day on strike against a global industry that refuses to fairly recognize the contributions of the workers who power its economic success.

Megalopolis, the long-awaited passion project from Francis Ford Coppola, is the latest film to land an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA. The film finished production earlier this year so it is unknown what the agreement would be used for but with festival season ramping up it could potentially be getting one in order to be sold on one of the markets or potentially screen an upcoming festival and in need of one for publicity purposes.

Trustees of the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan have unanimously agreed to a one-calendar-quarter extension of health coverage for certain qualified participants who would otherwise lose coverage on Oct. 1, 2023. The extension accounts for jobs that may have been lost in May and June of this year due to the Writers Guild strike. The WGA has been on strike since May 2, SAG-AFTRA since July 14.

EXCLUSIVE: Shadow and Bone star Kit Young is part of the Season 1 cast of FX’s Alien series, sources tell Deadline. Additionally, I hear filming in Thailand has been suspended due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, and the cast was sent home Friday. According to sources, the break was planned as the show’s production schedule was adjusted to account for the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage. Crew members are still working, and sets are still being prepared for when shooting resumes after the end of the strike, sources said.

J. Kim Murphy SAG-AFTRA issued a statement on Thursday evening to encourage members to promote and audition for approved interim agreement productions, as a means of “strengthening the union’s bargaining position and demonstrating solidarity.” The guild’s statement provides guidance in regards to the matter of promoting a project with an interim agreement, which has been a matter of contention among some SAG-AFTRA members since the strike began in July.

SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America West are among more than 20 labor organizations lobbying for passage of a bill pending in the California legislature that would make striking workers in the state eligible for unemployment benefits, as they are in New York and New Jersey.

Ahead of its world premiere in competition at the 80th Venice Film Festival, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, which follows the Presleys from the perspective of the King’s young bride, has secured a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement.

The actors’ strike is still ongoing, but there are several projects that have received waivers or are exempt from the strike rules.

SAG-AFTRA’s Duncan Crabtree-Ireland has acknowledged “significant economic consequences” impacting workers around the world due to the strikes, while the boss of British Equity said his union is prepared to enter disputes if U.S. producers try to recast roles with UK actors.

SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles Local and the Writers Guild of America will hold a “National Day of Solidarity” rally on Tuesday outside Disney Studios.

Trustees of New York City’s $250 billion pension funds have warned Disney, Paramount and Comcast that they risk losing investor confidence if they allow the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes to drag on much longer. The WGA has been on strike since May 2, and SAG-AFTRA since July 14.

Natasha Lyonne is brainstorming plot ideas for Season 2 of her hit show, Poker Face.

SAG-AFTRA has given an interim agreement to another upcoming fall festival pic with theChristy Hall drama Daddio, starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn. The agreement will allow talent to promote the movie at the upcoming festivals including Toronto, where it has been confirmed as a Special Presentation pic.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Movie distributors headed to this year’s fall film festivals hoping to buy select star-studded indie films must be prepared to agree to new contract terms from SAG-AFTRA, the union’s chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said Tuesday. During a broad press conference on the topic of SAG-AFTRA’s interim agreements program — under which some movies and TV projects can shoot or engage in publicity during the ongoing strike — Crabtree-Ireland confirmed what many in the indie film world have been sweating over for weeks.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, confirmed Tuesday that fall festival buyers will need to agree to the terms proposed for the guild’s new contract before acquiring projects being promoted under an interim agreement.

SAG-AFTRA, in solidarity with the Writers Guild, has modified its interim agreement policy to exclude any projects shot in the U.S. that are covered by the WGA.

SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is hopeful that Friday’s meeting between the Writers Guild and the AMPTP helps push the needle forward as the actors await their turn to get back to the bargaining table.

Billy Porter is taking some drastic measures due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, revealing that the lack of employment has forced him to place his house on the market.

Hollywood’s potential misuse of artificial intelligence is a “deadly cocktail” and a “poison” that needs to be strictly regulated, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in the guild’s latest strike podcast.