The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) began a strike on July 14th. The union, representing 160,000 actors and performers, is seeking increased base pay and residuals amid the rise of streaming, along with protections against unregulated use of artificial intelligence.
This pause in production will continue until the strike ends. However, Jenna Ortega’s new film Death Of A Unicorn – an A24 production – has been approved to continue.
The film stars Ortega and Paul Rudd as a father-daughter duo who accidentally hit a unicorn. It will proceed thanks to SAG-AFTRA allowing films from studios not represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to continue work.
The actors’ strike coincides with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, halted production on many projects since May 2. This marks the first time actors and writers have simultaneously gone on strike in over 60 years.
The AMPTP, representing major studios like Netflix and Disney, said: “The Union has regrettably chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands who depend on the industry.”
Ortega’s Death Of A Unicorn is one of very few films set to continue production through the strike. With no end in sight, the work stoppage since July 14th could have major implications for the entertainment industry.
