As things officially ground to a halt in Hollywood yesterday – due to the writers and actors now on strike over fair wages and the use of AI in Hollywood – we learned House of the Dragon will at least continue filming.
The actors of the SAG-AFTRA labour organisation officially voted yesterday to strike, leading to Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and other stars walking out of the Oppenheimer premiere.
Other casualties include Deadpool 3 and, well… just about everything else, really. The silver lining is that House of the Dragon, one of the industry’s biggest hot properties at the moment, gets to keep going due to local regulations.
You see, the series is being shot in the United Kingdom (at least partially) where there are different regulations in play. House of the Dragon is a contract production with Equity, which is a labour union for actors here in the UK.
Equity released a statement on Thursday, swearing solidarity, and stating they “will support SAG-AFTRA and its members by all lawful means.”
However, that’s quite different to the stars (including Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, and Steve Toussaint) actually walking away from filming on set.
Paul W. Fleming, the General Secretary of Equity, released a statement released to its members after SAG-AFTRA’s strike announcement, saying:
Industrial relations legislation in the United Kingdom is draconian, and often viewed as the most restrictive in the Western world. The convoluted and pernicious hurdles faced by all unions in the United Kingdom are a national disgrace and need urgent reform. The regrettable consequence of this framework is that what artists working in the United Kingdom — whether SAG-AFTRA and/or Equity members (or both) — can do, may be different from their comrades in the United States and other parts of the world.
We have been advised by SAG-AFTRA that its strike is lawful according to United States law but we have been advised by our U.K. lawyers that it is not lawful under United Kingdom law,” Fleming says in a separate portion of his statement. “Consequently, 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. 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.
Fleming stressed that Equity “stands full square behind our sister union in their claim, and the action their Board have agreed to take,” and that the union will be “organising demonstrations, rallies, and protests in the coming days and weeks to show our solidarity with our sister union and their fight.”
Hmmm. Well, this is all well and good – I really REALLY enjoyed season 1 of House of the Dragon – however, I cannot bear to watch dragons getting hurt or killed, and this is where my issue lies. At least if it were delayed, I’d be able to put off the inevitable decision of whether to watch it anyway or miss out.
Because you just KNOW it’s all going to kick off next season. And I was traumatised enough after that season 1 finale! ‘Kinell.
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