Amid SAG strike, these HBO shows are still being filmed in the UK – here’s why

As a result of the ongoing strikes by the writers and actors in Hollywood, a lot of major productions of movies, web series, and television shows have stopped. Hollywood premieres, events, and conferences have also been canceled or postponed.

The Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) are on strike, demanding better pay, healthcare and facilities, and a safeguard against artificial intelligence (AI).

Movies like Deadpool 3 and Avatar 3, as well as web series like Stranger Things and some favorite TV shows like The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live, have halted production or even the writing process, as there are no writers or actors available.


But the rules of the US strike don’t apply to the UK unions, therefore the filming of HBO’s shows House of the Dragon and Industry would continue.

The UK’s actors’ union called Equity, however, has shown “unwavering solidarity” to its American counterparts.

However, the cast of Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer walked away from its UK premiere just ahead of the SAG strike.

Equity further advised: “SAG-AFTRA members currently working under an Equity UK collective bargaining agreement should continue to report to work.”

House of the Dragon’s major shoots took place in England for the first season, mostly at Leavesden Studios in Watford, near London. The Season 2 production began in April 2023.

Industry Season 3 will also film in London and Cardiff, Wales.

CNN has confirmed that both House of the Dragon and Industry are Equity contract shows.

“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,” said Paul Fleming, General Secretary of Equity, in a statement

SAG-AFTRA has about 160,000 actors on strike, while the WGA has over 11,500 members who are striking.

FAQs

Q1:When did the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike begin?
The SAG-AFTRA strike of 2023 began on July 14, 2023, when thousands of Hollywood actors joined the screenwriters in a strike for better pay and working conditions.

Q2:When was the last Hollywood strike before 2023?
The last big actors' strike in Hollywood was in 1980 and lasted 10 weeks. There was another strike in the year 2000 but that lasted only six months.