Viola Davis Exits G20 Film Amid Ongoing Strikes, Echoing Hollywood Solidarity
EXCLUSIVE: G20 star Viola Davis has made an enterprising move to distance herself from a project due to ongoing actors and writers strikes, despite the film having secured the necessary SAG-AFTRA interim agreement to commence production. "I love this movie, but I think it inappropriate for this production to advance during the strike,” stated the EGOT winner. This decision aligns with JuVee Productions and echoes their solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA, and the WGA.
This development trailing Davis was unveiled a week subsequent to actor Tobias Menzies declaration to Deadline of joining Brad Pitt in withdrawing from Apex, helmed by Joseph Kosinski for Apple. SAG-AFTRA on the preceding Friday disclosed that G20 was sanctioned a waiver, prompting uncertainties towards the future of the project amid strikes.
This predicament emphasizes the ambivalence for stars who must acknowledge the implications of their situation. While one interim agreement could settle hundreds back to work in precarious financial climates, the choice might engender accusations of "scabbing." The SAG-AFTRA strike this month has seen actors' guild issuing more than 100 interim agreements to movies and series, provoking frustrations due to the ambiguity surrounding mini majors and ultra-low-budget Indies sharing a similar space.
Among other high-profile projects to have secured agreements so far include Apple TV+'s series Tehran, New Line's The Watchers, Glenn Close's The Summer Book, and A24's Mother Mary and Death of a Unicorn. The Gray House, a Civil War spy drama initiated by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, also recently secured an agreement.
G20, an action thriller with Patricia Riggen of The 33 at the helm, involves terrorists seizing the G20 Summit, and the American President, Taylor Sutton (Davis), utilizing her political savvy and military expertise to defend her family, fellow leaders, and the world. The script, amended by Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss (The Red Lion), was penned by Noah and Logan Miller (White Boy Rick).
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Viola Davis' withdrawal is, like, the Hollywood equivalent of taking the last piece of cake at a party. It's a bold move, a possibly contentious one, but one backed with good intentions. Here's the thing about strikes in Tinseltown: they are expected to halt all things film and series-related, to essentially put a pause on play. Yet, Davis’ decision bolsters this intent, turning the expected into the respected.
And Tobias Menzies, he’s just following Brad Pitt around like a lost puppy. Some might call it solidarity, others, a rare sighting of Hollywood's famous 'follow the leader' occurrence. But what it does highlight, beyond any doubt, is a collective show of support to the striking workers.
Numbers can often spell out the mood in Hollywood, and the triple-figure sum of temporary deals greenlit by SAG-AFTRA suggests either a) Surreal optimism or b) Desperate need to get work rolling. And sometimes, It’s just hard to tell.
As for other major projects hopping onto the interim agreement train, one thinks of the apple falling close to the proverbial tree. And in Hollywood's case, it's Apple TV+ leading the way. This might be seen as an opportunistic move or, on the flip side, a ray of hope if we're considering the plight of hundreds striving to wade back into work.
The G20 project is no less an embodiment of the present contradiction - battling terrorist takeover while navigating backstage turbulence. The striking underpinning irony might involve Davis piloting diplomacy across two admittedly different battlefields. Or perhaps the trials on-screen will reflect the off-screen drama occurring during its shelving. Anything’s fair game in Hollywood, I suppose. Guess we'll have to play the waiting game!
