Alien Series Beats SAG-AFTRA Strike Drama to Start Filming in Thailand

FX’s Alien series is currently in production in Thailand, absent its SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) members due to the ongoing union strike. The only confirmed cast member at present is Sydney Chandler, playing a female lead, while it's been revealed that Alex Lawther, renowned for his role in Netflix’s The End of the F*cking World, has been cast as a soldier named CJ. Several other pivotal roles have been filled, coordinating with Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, and Adarsh Gourav.

The agreements with the stars were signed before the SAG-AFTRA strike commenced on July 14. Currently, American union members are not present in Thailand for the filming of Alien, a project of Equity, according to sources cited by Deadline. The shoot began on Wednesday, July 19, at The Studio Park, with scenes captured that don't involve SAG-affiliated performers.

American actress Chandler, known for her role in Don’t Worry, Darling, is confirmed by representatives as "not in production." However, Lawther, attached to the English union Equity, is reportedly filming in Thailand. Equity artists have been warned they could face breach of contract lawsuits if they quit the set in support of their American peers.

Noah Hawley's preemptive addition to the Alien franchise, with Ridley Scott contributing as the executive producer, has monopolized much of Bangkok's sound stages, in addition to a significant portion of its lighting and camera gear. Studio insiders state that three cast members are associated with SAG-AFTRA, leading to a shooting schedule shuffle to delay their involvement as much as possible. Key actors are also Equity union members.

Hawley’s series had been in preparation for around four months and was just days away from production commencement when the SAG-AFTRA strike was instigated. A reliable source disclosed that the strike hasn't had any impact so far, as all scripts were finalized prior to the strike in May.

Around 400 Thai nationals have secured employment as crew for the production. There’s no further information on the Thai cast yet. Several Thai facilities, including Studio Park, previously used by Netflix and Disney, have been booked out by the production team.

Chris Lowenstein, the Bangkok-based producer of the series, declined to comment when approached by Deadline. The Alien series unfolds in a timeline preceding Sigourney Weaver's Ripley and marks the first occurrence on Earth in the franchise catalog. Moreover, a ninth Alien movie by 20th Century Studios, starring Cailee Spaeny and Isabela Merced, has wrapped and is currently in post-production.

Ah, the drama of Hollywood, but this time set in the humid climes of Thailand! Who would have thought an alien invasion could be this complicated without a single green creature even setting foot on set yet?

FX's Alien series has more plotlines off-stage, it seems, than the on-screen one it's about to unleash. Strikes have always been an acceptable - if inconvenient - method for industry professionals to air their grievances, and this SAG-FATRA strike is no different.

Now, if only the Equity aliens could make contact with the SAG-AFTRA mothership, then we could let the cameras roll and the real action begin! But, folks, it appears we're going to need more than a quick chat on this. Parties on both sides of the strike have dug in deep, and it's clear no one's going to be conducting a spacewalk, or rather, a walk-off set anytime soon.

Meanwhile, in a galaxy not so far away, Ridley Scott’s reputation looms large. He’s brought his interstellar clout to this murky situation, even as the rest of the crew dodges metaphorically- it's orbiting around the legalities of contract breaches like an asteroid belt. In the end, nobody wants to be the poor sap caught in this tractor beam of multi-dimensional tension.

Is there any Alien franchise fan not on tenterhooks right now? Because unlike us mere earthlings who grapple with such mundane issues as union strikes, the Alien universe folks...well, they have...aliens!

So, dear readers, as we blow bubbles into our cosmos-themed coffee mugs, remember: Despite the strikes, the show - or in this case, the inter-galactic warlord feud - must go on! Let's coin another Hollywood adage, shall we - "Neither strikes nor the inter-galactic law can halt a good story." Hope that strike-ending asteroid hits soon, folks!