The Unstoppable TV Shows Breaking Barriers During the SAG Strike

The SAG-AFTRA strike will pause the production of several TV series, but this may not be the case for shows affiliated with different labor unions. Effective July 14, 2023, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has gone on strike, in addition to the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) that began in May 2023. Consequently, numerous movies and series that have been in production without writers will now have to suspend their work, as the SAG members, totaling over 160 thousand Hollywood actors, are unable to work due to the terms of their union memberships.

Although SAG actors hold a dominant presence in Hollywood, some TV series based outside the USA fall under the jurisdiction of other labor unions. For instance, the UK series House of the Dragon is covered by Equity, the sister organization of SAG. While the SAG strike is recognized as lawful in the US, it does not extend to the UK, where legal experts from Equity have deemed it unlawful (via EW). However, this does not imply that Equity does not support SAG's cause, as the organization has pledged to hold rallies and protests to show solidarity with US actors. While some UK TV productions have opted to halt filming, others have either committed to continuing according to schedule or are likely to do so.

5 House Of the Dragon

House of the Dragon's first season was a huge success, not surprising considering the overall popularity of Game of Thrones. Season 2 faced potential issues due to the WGA strike, but HBO announced that most of the writing was already completed, allowing filming to proceed. However, the addition of the SAG strike makes it even more unlikely that House of the Dragon will be able to avoid delays for its season 2 premiere.

Nevertheless, it's still possible that the HBO series will continue filming for now, as actors like Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, and Rhys Ifans, who are covered by SAG, are obligated to fulfill their contracts through Equity. This is not the case for Game of Thrones' other spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which has yet to begin production and is now at a standstill due to the WGA strike.

4 Squid Game

The lack of American actors and writers in Squid Game allows for season 2 to proceed unaffected by the SAG and WGA strikes. Filming for the Netflix series is expected to start this summer without any reported delays. The timeline for post-production and streaming to Korean audiences remains uncertain but should be within the typical timeframe. However, there is a possibility of the SAG and WGA strikes causing delays in translating and dubbing Squid Game into English for American viewers. Season 1 of Squid Game was dubbed over by English speakers, including some Americans who may be covered by SAG. It is unclear whether the English script for the series was written by American or Korean writers. As a result, there may be potential delays for American audiences in receiving the next installment of Squid Game.

3 Slow Horses

Despite being set in England and featuring various English actors, Slow Horses, the Apple TV series, does not fall under the Equity loophole. By May 2023, the series had completed filming for season 3 and had already prepared the script for season 4, hence avoiding any impact from the WGA strike. However, the SAG strike poses a different challenge as a number of SAG actors are part of the cast. Nevertheless, it appears that Slow Horses had foreseen this situation and reportedly shot all scenes involving SAG actors before the strike commenced, allowing filming to continue as planned until any reshoots or script revisions become necessary. Considering the likelihood of some hurdles during production, it is expected that Slow Horses season 4 will inevitably face delays at some point. However, since the network ordered both season 3 and season 4 together, they may have managed to complete a significant portion of the pre-production work just in time, giving them the flexibility to wait until a mutual agreement is reached with SAG to address any potential issues.

2 Industry

"Industry" debuted its first season on both HBO and BBC Two in November 2020, and was quickly renewed for a second season. The production of season 3 took two years, and although it was confirmed at the same time, it is not expected to be aired until 2024. Filming for season 3 began in April 2023, and thanks to legal loopholes similar to those that protected the production of "House of the Dragon," it is likely that the schedule will remain on track.

Unlike the SAG, "Industry" is covered by Equity, and if the union organization continues to distance itself from the strike, filming should be able to proceed. However, given the involvement of US writers and actors, there is a possibility that things may slow down in the future.

1 Dune: The Sisterhood

Dune: The Sisterhood, a prequel series set in the Dune universe, was initially announced in 2019 but has faced multiple delays. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to replace both the lead actor and director, the series had a slow start. The filming, scheduled to begin in 2022, had to be postponed. However, now that casting is complete and Anna Foerster is on board as the director, there are hopes for a premiere in 2024 on Max.

One potential obstacle is the WGA and SAG strikes, which could pose a problem. However, since Dune: The Sisterhood is covered by Equity, a TV series, it may find a way to navigate through. Nevertheless, it appears to be just a matter of time before this situation changes. Equity is firm in its determination not to be in conflict with SAG, and the organization may instruct its lawyers to find a legal means to halt filming until the SAG strike leads to a more favorable agreement for American actors.