Most major productions are now stalled as tens of thousands of film and television actors are on strike. The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union leaders failed to reach an agreement with major studios last week. They join thousands of writers who went on strike in May.
In addition to not being able to film, stars can’t promote their projects on social media or on press tours. That’s impacting even the biggest summer blockbusters like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”
Utah Film Commission Director Virginia Pearce told KPCW’s Mountain Money it’s going to be challenging to film local productions until an agreement is reached.
“For now, everything has stopped. We do have a number of productions, I think a dozen, that were supposed to get started in July,” Pearce said. “Most things are going to be on hold or pushed a little bit until we see what all of this looks like. It represents about $64 million in production, about 3,000 jobs - so it’s a big impact.”
There’s no timeline for when the sides could reach an agreement, but she said she hopes it’s resolved by Labor Day.
Major sticking points between the two sides include streaming residuals, rules around artificial intelligence, and self-taped auditions.
Pearce added that independent productions that work outside of the studio system have a way to continue production.
The Christian television series “The Chosen,” which chronicles the life of Jesus and is filming in Utah County, was granted an exemption by SAG-AFTRA to continue work Monday, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. That’s because it’s completely funded by donations.
Pearce manages Utah’s film incentive program, which offers productions up to a 25% rebate in exchange for filming in the state.
In return, productions spend money locally, hire Utahns to work on set, and boost tourism. A recent study conducted by the commission found that over a third of people visiting Utah came to the state because they were exposed to it through a film or TV show - whether that’s “Forrest Gump” running through Monument Valley or “Thelma & Louise” driving off a cliff at Dead Horse State Park.
The film commission’s only limitation is its amount of funding. Pearce said the television series “Yellowstone” left Utah for Montana simply because the state had more money to offer the production.
When Hollywood does return to normal, she said not to expect any filming on Park City’s Main Street, despite frequent requests because of its desirable location.
“We’ve kind of backed off using Main Street or suggesting Main Street and trying to find other options, because Park City has grown so much, and it is busy and it is a disruption,” Pearce said. “Closing off Main Street for four or eight hours just doesn’t happen anymore. They may go to Kamas or Heber or try to find a side street in Salt Lake that they can more easily shut down.”
The strikes could also impact the film festival circuit, most notably the Toronto Film Festival in September. The Telluride Film Festival over Labor Day weekend is not expected to see as much change, because its lack of press events.
