Oppenheimer's Cast Walked Out Of The Film's Premiere In Solidarity With The Actors' Strike
The cast of "Oppenheimer" made good on their promise that they would walk out of the film's premiere in London if SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) officially called to strike following the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers)'s failure to offer an equitable deal. While on the red carpet, "Oppenheimer" star Emily Blunt told Deadline, "I think right now we are just sorting of ... I hope everyone makes a fair deal and we are here to celebrate this movie." She continued, "And if they call it, we'll be leaving together as cast in unity with everyone ... We are gonna have to. We are gonna have to. We will see what happens. Right now it's the joy to be together."
Matt Damon echoed Blunt's sentiments. His company has already shut down the production of one film in solidarity with the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike but recognized that this strike is not about celebrities consistently pulling in huge paychecks. "If our leadership is saying that the deal isn't fair, then we gotta hold strong until we get a deal that's fair for working actors," he said. "It's the difference between having healthcare and not for a lot of actors, and we gotta do what's right by them."
Well, the cast proved not to be all talk, as Blunt, Damon, Florence Pugh, Cillian Murphy, and many others in attendance walked out of the "Oppenheimer" premiere. This is standard practice for a SAG-AFTRA strike, which does not permit actors to do any promotional work, including press junkets, film premieres, and fan events like conventions.
Now I am become strike, the destroyer of studio greed
The entertainment industry is now in the midst of a double strike, which hasn't happened in over 60 years. The Director's Guild of America elected to ratify their deal with the AMPTP in June, avoiding a strike but certainly making them look clownish as they no longer have scripts or performers to direct until both strikes come to an end. Hope that "truly historic deal" was worth it and that you're excited to call "action" to AI holograms speaking lines written by ChatGPT, y'all! To be clear, my barbs are pointed at the leadership who buckled into accepting a deal, not the DGA as a whole, many of whom are in solidarity with both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
"Oppenheimer" is just the first of many film premieres that will be impacted by the strike. Just before the screening of the film in London, director Christopher Nolan addressed the crowd by acknowledging the hard work of the actors and respecting their choice not to attend the rest of the premiere. "They're off to go and write their picket signs," Nolan explained to the audience, who all cheered in solidarity with the actors' decision to leave.
Shortly after their exit, SAG-AFTRA held a press conference to announce the strike, which goes into effect one minute past midnight. I hope the studios are ready. If they thought the WGA picketers were disruptive, they're in for a rude awakening when thousands of former theater kids are unleashed outside their gates.