UK-based productions paused due to US strikes
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Production has been suspended on several major UK-based inward investment projects due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike in the US.Â
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Some productions had already been affected by the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) walkout but the impact of the huge actors’ union taking strike action has been swift and sharp, shutting down sets on a daily basis.Â
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With the help of our colleagues on Screen, here is a round-up of the productions confirmed to have been suspended so far:Â
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Deadpool 3 – production paused. Shawn Levy directs the third in Marvel Studios’ superhero comedy franchise, with production based at Pinewood Studios since the start of shooting in May. Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and Matthew Macfadyen star. Â
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Speak No Evil – production paused. James Watkins is at the helm of this psychological thriller – a remake of Danish film The Guests – about two families whose joint holiday turns into a nightmare. James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis star. Â
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Filming had begun in Croatia in May for one week, before moving to the UK (Gloucester) for the remaining seven weeks. As Screen reported exclusively yesterday, there were just five days left of shooting when the Blumhouse Productions film shut down.Â
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Wicked – production paused. The lengthy shoot on the origins story of the witches of Oz began in December, the first major production to film at Sky Studios Elstree. There were just ten days remaining on the filming schedule before the strike-induced shut-down, as confired by composer Stephen Schwartz to Variety. Jon M Chu directs the Marc Platt Productions/Universal project, which will be delivered as two separate features starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Michelle Yeoh.Â
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Amateur – production paused. Rami Malek stars in the James Hawes-directed thriller about a CIA cryptographer out to avenge the death of his wife, murdered in a terror attack in London. The 20th Century Fox film had started shooting in June, with Laurence Fishburne and Rachel Brosnahan also among the cast.Â
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Hedda – production delayed. Nia DaCosta’s iteration of Hedda Gabler starring Eve Hewson, Tessa Thompson and Callum Turner was gearing up for production in the UK but the start of principal photography has now been delayed.
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How to Train Your Dragon – production delayed. The live-action version of the hit animated films is currently in pre-production in NI, readying for a late summer start, now delayed. Mason Thames and Nico Parker lead the cast of the feature, directed by Dean DeBlois for Marc Platt Productions/Universal.Â
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Silo Series 2 – production paused (according to Deadline). The second series of Apple TV+’s dystopian drama starring Rebecca Ferguson had started filming at Hoddesdon Studios in June, with a supporting cast including Common, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, David Oyelowo, Rashida Jones and Tim Robbins.Â
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The Sandman 2 – production paused. The second series of Netflix’s The Sandman had started production, despite the WGA strike, but shooting is now paused due to the SAG-ATFRA walkout, as confirmed by Neil Gaiman on his Bluesky account. Â
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*Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two – production paused (non-UK). The UK leg of shooting was tied up several months ago but overall production had been due to wrap on international locations in the spring, before the effects of the strike.Â
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*Beetlejuice 2 – production paused. The UK leg of filming had completed: it is the US stint that is strike-affected. Shooting began in London in May with Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder starring. Â
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A version of this article first appeared on our sister site, Screen.Â
Deadpool image: David Dolsen/Twentieth Century Fox.Â
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