Alien Series Powers On despite SAG-AFTRA Strike: New Leads Cast, Filming Begins in Thailand

FX's much-anticipated Alien series has commenced production in Thailand, although without its stars who belong to The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) due to the ongoing strike. The solitary confirmed cast member thus far is Sydney Chandler, taking on the female lead role. Alex Lawther, known for Netflix’s hit series The End of the F*cking World, has been added to the cast as the male lead, a soldier christened CJ. Other significant roles include Samuel Blenkin's portrayal of Boy Kavalier, a CEO, with support from Essie Davis as Dame Silvia and Adarsh Gourav as Slightly.

Contracts for the actors were formalized prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike that commenced on July 14. Therefore, barring Chandler, all SAG-AFTRA members of the American union aren't currently in Thailand working on Alien, an Equity production. The production took off on Wednesday, July 19, with filming that does not involve any SAG-aligned actors.

Noah Hawley's prequel to the Alien franchise, with Ridley Scott in the executive producer’s chair, has engaged major sound stages in Bangkok, along with a significant portion of camera and lighting equipment. As per sources, three cast members are SAG-AFTRA members, and the production has altered its shooting schedule to delay their involvement.
Despite the preparation for the series that had been ongoing for four months, the SAG-AFTRA strike was called just a week before the start of production. Despite this hiccup, sources report that the production currently employs around 400 Thai nationals as crew members. There's no news yet about any Thai cast members being involved.

The Alien series, according to reports, occurs in a timeline prior to Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley and is the first story set on Earth in the franchise's history.

Now, on to the good stuff. Hollywood is no stranger to unexpected curveballs, and this SAG-AFTRA strike is a fastball right down the middle. But much like a seasoned batter, the Alien production team have stepped up to the plate, ready to keep this complex production on track. The show must go on, as the adage goes.

You have to hand it to the Alien team for its creative, if slightly unconventional, solution to the problem posed by the SAG-AFTRA strike. Putting those non-SAG scenes front and center in the shooting schedule shows a level of adaptability that is to be admired. Is it an ideal solution? Hardly. But it is the art of innovative problem-solving that fuels this industry, and I’m thrilled to see it at work.

The inclusion of Lawther, Blenkin, Davis, and Gourav in the cast sends a promising signal to fans of the Alien franchise. With their diverse backgrounds and abilities, they represent a fine cross-section of today's global acting talents. So let's reserve our front row seat, as this melting pot of talent promises an Alien installment like never before.

Lastly, that bit about the Alien series being set before Ripley's time? Intriguing, isn't it? As seasoned Alien aficionados know, a fresh narrative perspective, much like a newborn Xenomorph, can be a thing of unexpected beauty. The newborns are coming, folks. So let's strap in and prepare for this thrilling interstellar ride.