The writers strike caused a lot of films and TV shows to shut down production a couple months ago – and a lot more that were able to continue filming without writers have since been shut down by the Screen Actors Guild strike. But if a production happens to be independent, it can receive a waiver that will allow it to continue filming and its actors will continue working, even if they’re SAG members. Deadline and Variety report that some of the projects that have received SAG waivers include the Sam Raimi-produced horror film Don’t Move, the Mel Gibson / Mark Wahlberg thriller Flight Risk, the thriller The Watchers (which marks the feature directorial debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan, daughter of M. Night Shyamalan), and Hannibal TV series creator Bryan Fuller’s Dust Bunny, starring Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver.
Nearly fifty movies and TV shows have received waivers so far. Some of them have even already been completed, but needed a waiver so the actors could promote the release of the project (which is why the horror thriller Mother, May I?, which is being released tomorrow, is on the waiver list). Variety notes that “the productions agree to abide by the terms of the latest offer submitted by SAG-AFTRA during contract negotiations. Ultimately, the productions will adhere to the final deal negotiated by the AMPTP.”
SAG’s executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said actors are actively encouraged to participate in the projects that have received waivers. The idea being that “if independent productions are able to move forward on the union’s terms, that undermines the studio talking point that the union’s demands are unrealistic.”
Here’s the list of projects that have received SAG waivers so far, courtesy of Deadline:
00557718 Aguadilla Abla Films LLC 7/17/2023
00558722 Anniversary Anniversary US Productions, LLC 7/18/2023
00556657 Armadilla Armadilla LLC 7/17/2023
00557009 Beneath the Grass Beneath the Grass Film LLC 7/16/2023
A0331397 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (23/24) X Factor S2 LLC 7/17/2023
00556831 Beyond The Walls Beyond The Walls Film LLC 7/17/2023
00558253 Bob Trevino Likes It Chosen Family, LLC 7/16/2023
00558258 Bride Hard Bride Hard Films LLC 7/17/2023
00555863 Cafone, The Suburbanite Productions, LLC 7/17/2023
00553609 Chosen, The (23/24) The Chosen Texas, LLC 7/17/2023
00557550 Death Of A Unicorne Monoceros Media LLC 7/16/2023
00555298 Desert, A Capes and Fog LLC 7/17/2023
00557411 Don’t Move Dont Move UT LLC 7/18/2023
00558096 Dream Devil Outhouse Production Films LLC 7/17/2023
00557523 Dust Bunny Dust Bunny Productions, LLC 7/15/2023
00556869 Exhibiting Forgiveness Exhibiting Forgiveness, Inc. 7/18/2023
00555874 F-PLUS SWEN STUDIOS, INC. 7/17/2023
00557350 Flight Risk Flight Risk Productions, Inc. 7/16/2023
00541818 Ganymede Ganymede Film, LLC 7/17/2023
00557724 Greatest Ever, The THE GREATEST EVER LLC 7/16/2023
00556352 Ick ICK Productions, LLC 7/16/2023
00557680 Isaac Isaac Productions LLC 7/18/2023
00557973 Just Breathe Rockwood Champ LLC 7/16/2023
00557321 King Ivory Magic Mark, LLC 7/18/2023
00553622 Mother Mary Got a Little Sloppy LLC 7/15/2023
00524203 Mother, May I? MMI Film LLC 7/18/2023
00558714 Mourning Rock ZNZ Project LLC 7/17/2023
00557981 Osiris It Hunts LLC 7/16/2023
00558622 Paradise And Lunch PL Film LLC 7/17/2023
00556744 Queen Of The Ring Ring Productions LLC 7/15/2023
00558294 Ritual, The Rituality, LLC 7/17/2023
00556346 Rivals of Amziah King Sad Abe’s Inc. 7/14/2023
00557757 Sell Out The Benny Dink Movie LLC 7/16/2023
00552034 Short Game, The Green Jacket Productions LLC 7/17/2023
00559834 Sight Unseen (23/24) Sight Unseen S1 Productions BC Inc. 7/18/2023
00556078 Sod And Stubble Sod and Stubble LLC 7/16/2023
00557256 Sound, The Sound Film, LLC 7/16/2023
00554189 The killer’s game TKG PRODUCTIONS LIMITED 7/15/2023
00553490 Tower, The TheTowerFilm LLC 7/15/2023
00556254 Transamazonia Cinema DeFacto 7/17/2023
00557596 Untitled Rebuilding Project Crowded Table LLC 7/18/2023
00556977 Watchers, The Hunched Lady Productions LLC 7/18/2023
00558019 Week End Escape Project Grive Productions SARL 7/18/2023
00436018 Weekend Escape Sean OByrne 7/18/2023
00554217 Yellow Tie, The Oblique Media SRL 7/17/2023
Are you glad to hear that SAG waivers have been granted to so many projects? Share your thoughts on this by leaving a comment below.