‘Off to Write Their Picket Signs’ Makes Its Premiere Before the SAG Strike
Christopher Nolan, the film’s director, stated that the cast was supporting them in their fight for “fair wages for working members of their union.”
The cast of Oppenheimer is positioned behind SAG-AFTRA.
At the movie’s Thursday U.K. premiere in London, stars Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Rami Malek, Josh Hartnett, and others walked the red carpet. Following their abrupt absence, director Christopher Nolan discussed SAG-AFTRA’s then-imminent strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
At the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, Nolan, 52, addressed the crowd from the stage and said, “We have to recognise, you’ve seen them here earlier on the red carpet. Unfortunately, they have left to prepare for what we anticipate will be an impending SAG strike by writing their picket signs.
As shown in a video posted by Deadline, the filmmaker said, “Joining one of my guilds, the Writer’s Guild, in the struggle for fair wages for working members of their union, and we support them.”
Soon after, SAG-AFTRA leadership (also known as the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) announced that the union would go on strike on Friday. In a memo, union president Fran Drescher and national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland stated that members were instructed “to cease rendering all services and performing all work covered by the TV/Theatrical Contracts” once the strike started.
Prior to Nolan’s remarks, 40-year-old Blunt told Deadline that she hoped “everyone makes a fair deal and we’re here to just celebrate this movie.”
She said, “If they call [a strike], we’ll be leaving together as a cast in unity with everyone. ” But she was ready for what really transpired, saying, Our only option is to. Our only option is to. So, we’ll wait and see. It is, however, the thrill of being together right now.
Despite some of the challenges a strike would present professionally, notably for his recently established independent studio with longtime buddy Ben Affleck, Damon, 52, told the publication that a fair contract was the top concern.
“It’s brutal for our sister unions,” he continued. “And it will be challenging for 160,000 actors. Nobody wants a strike at work.
“But if our leadership is saying that the deal isn’t fair, then we gotta hold strong until we get a deal that’s fair for working actors,” stated Damon. “For many actors, it’s the difference between having healthcare and not, and we’ve got to do what’s right by them.”
On the red carpet, 27-year-old Pugh told Irish source RTÉ that “it’s been a really, really tense few days for a lot of people — not just actors, but everybody in the industry who are going to be affected by this decision, but affected by a decision that is necessary.”
“Premieres aren’t just for us; they celebrate the team and the movie they represent. Therefore, we feel fortunate that we were able to fit this in as well as fortunate that we were able to support our peers and the choice that was made, the actress concluded. And we are hoping that something happens soon.
The only thing I can truly say to you is that I stand by my colleagues, said Murphy, 47, to the same site.
On Thursday, Pugh posted several cast photos from the premiere to Instagram, noting that Oppenheimer “was made in respect of art and crews and creativity.”
Additionally, she added, “Christopher Nolan respects the craft and people, and that’s the Fullstop.” “We appreciate your support, and the movie is now yours. Love to us, X.
