The film capital’s major studios put several high-profile projects on hold this week after more than 160,000 screen performers represented by the labor union SAG-AFTRA went on strike for the first time since 1980.
Hollywood’s assembly line of movies and television shows was already slowing down because thousands of screenwriters have been on the picket lines since early May. But the actors’ strike means that many film productions based on completed scripts are now going dark, too.
The strike also prevents actors from participating in promotional campaigns. The red carpet festivities at the upcoming U.S. premiere of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” were canceled, for instance, according to a spokesperson for Universal Pictures. (NBC News and Universal Pictures are both units of NBCUniversal.)
NBC News has confirmed that the following film shoots are shutting down until actors reach a deal with a trade association that represents leading studios and streamers. (The group represents NBCUniversal parent company Comcast.)
“Gladiator 2” (Paramount Pictures)
Ridley Scott’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning 2000 historical epic has been “impacted” by the strike, according to a source familiar with the production. The film, which had been set for a November 2024 release, started shooting last month in locations such as Malta and Morocco, according to IMDb. The cast includes Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”), Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington.
Clint Eastwood’s latest thriller, rumored to be his final directorial outing, stars Nicholas Hoult as a murder trial juror who discovers he might be responsible for the victim’s death. “Juror 2” was slated to shoot in Georgia, a major hub for Hollywood film productions, but filming is suspended, according to a source familiar. The movie does not have an official release date.
“Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two” (Paramount Pictures)
Tom Cruise is expected to conquer the international box office this weekend with “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.” But the strike will delay shooting on the movie’s sequel, which was supposed to resume filming after Cruise and his co-stars finished promoting the current installment in the spy franchise, according to a source familiar with the production.
Untitled F1 drama (Apple TV+)
“Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski was gearing up to shoot a Formula One-themed racing drama starring Brad Pitt. But “all filming is shut down for now,” according to a source close to the production. “Brad had really enjoyed himself,” the source told NBC News, “but he is definitely a very loyal member of the union.” The movie does not have an official release date.