UK Filming Industry Stalls Amid US Strikes: Ewan McGregor's Series Among Casualties
Ewan McGregor, who was nearing the end of filming his Paramount+ series "A Gentleman in Moscow," saw the strike coming in June. "A Gentleman in Moscow," not based in Hollywood but the UK, a renowned production behemoth, was forced to close its doors last week with seven days of filming remaining. Having been filmed at Manchester’s Space Studios, the eOne series abruptly left a network of freelance crew in the north of England unemployed with scant hope for another significant production in the near future. The series, a representation of the UK's entertainment prowess, is now indicative of the UK screen industry's entanglement with U.S. fortunes, testing the adage, "If America sneezes, Britain gets a cold."
While based in the UK, the filming industry there shares expressions of solidarity with the strikers in the U.S. Demonstrations have taken place, accompanied by speakers such as Brian Cox and Charlie Brooker. British unions, Equity and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), are grappling with pleas from members wanting to know how to do 'the right thing.' Unlike SAG-AFTRA, Equity union members are reminded that studio contracts, not the union, are in dispute and can still work outside these deals. As the strike continues to unspool, the shared pain amongst the entertainers increases recalling experiences during the pandemic.
The writer's strike initiated in May destabilized many major filming ventures though some persisted. It wasn’t until actors joined the picket line in mid-July that filming stopped on most studio shoots. Numerous productions have been put on pause including "Deadpool 3" and "Wicked," and Apple TV+’s sci-fi series Silo, among others. Disappointments run rife in the ranks with talk suggesting studios may simply be using this occasion to curtail spending and balance budgets.
As the strikes continue, the industry anticipates a host of problems to surface. Actor schedules will be disrupted, preparations for returning shoots will elongate, and employment issues will become grist for the union mill. There is a general mood of somber inconvenience as the strike's timeline intersects with the nation's delicate recovery from the pandemic. The Film And TV Charity reports an increase in calls for financial assistance as work opportunities decrease. Yet union leaders remain hopeful that securing a larger portion of streaming revenues and warding off AI exploitation will outweigh the ongoing discomfort.
BAFTA-nominated director Gharavi affirms the sentiment, saying, "I’d be happy to lose the work for better conditions because the erosion of rights is so diabolical.” Talent agent, Jon Thoday, believes the outcome of the strike could be a proper acknowledgment of talent rewards when a show streams, a step he feels could win the streaming wars for the studio that first embraces it. Conversely, there exists wariness about SAG-AFTRA stars being swept up by indie features as many will be expected to return to studio projects at short notice when the strike ends.
This extensive statewide standstill will undeniably restructure the entertainment landscape. However, one must ask, in Yeats' words, what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Hollywood to be born?
Indeed the onus now naturally falls on union leaders, industry stalwarts and governing accords to delicately navigate these unraveled threads of the community towards a renewed, fairer system of operation - one that forms a versatile and equitable future for all contributing artists.
But as a plucky Jack Lemmon once said in Missing, "I'm not going to risk my life for a story."
