Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer comes out later this week. His cast only had a few days to promote the film in Europe before SAG-AFTRA called the strike, a strike which shut down all film promotions. Granted, Nolan could single-handedly promote the film for the rest of the promotional tour, but I don’t think he will. Nolan is a member of the Directors Guild, obviously, but I would imagine that he’s also a member of the PGA (Producers Guild) and WGA (Writers Guild). The DGA already struck a deal with the AMPTP and they reportedly capitulated to studios and got a dogsh-t deal, leaving it up to the actors and writers’ unions to demand fair pay. Now Nolan says that he’s standing with the striking actors and writers:
Christopher Nolan is joining his “Oppenheimer” cast in stepping out from Hollywood as the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes ensue. A day after the ensemble of his upcoming J. Robert Oppenheimer epic — including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh — walked out of the film’s London premiere as the SAG-AFTRA strike began simultaneously, Nolan told BBC News that he will not attempt another film project until the work stoppages are resolved.
“No, absolutely. It’s very important that everybody understands it is a very key moment in the relationship between working people and Hollywood,” Nolan told the outlet amid SAG-AFTRA protesting the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ (AMPTP) refusal to offer a more solid residuals structure for streaming content and to protect actors and other talent against the threat of artificial intelligence.
“This is not about me, this is not about the stars of my film,” Nolan said. “This is about jobbing actors, this is about staff writers on television programs trying to raise a family, trying to keep food on the table.”
SAG-AFTRA has claimed that its now-expired contract with the AMPTP ignores how studios compensate talent for content that streams well beyond its initial release date. Nolan said that studios associated with the AMPTP have not taken account of “this new world of streaming, and a world where they’re not licensing their products out to other broadcasters — they’re keeping them for themselves.”
The five-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker added, “They have not yet offered to pay appropriately to the unions’ working members, and it’s very important that they do so. I think you’d never want a strike, you never want industrial action. But there are times where it’s necessary. This is one of those times.”
I find it interesting that Nolan is effectively going on strike as well – the DGA already got their deal and DGA has made a point of not striking in solidarity with their sister unions. Granted, it will be hard for any director to get anything done without actors or writers, so Nolan’s commitment to “not working through the strike” isn’t so much an act of solidarity as much as a logistical reality. Now I wonder how many big-name directors actually think the strike is a good thing, and how many directors feel like their union got hosed.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan at the Oppenheimer UK Premiere at Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square, London, United Kingdom on 13 July 2023.,Image: 788957349, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Cat Morley / Avalon
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- Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan at the Oppenheimer film premiere at The Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square in London, UK, on 13th July 2023,Image: 788962936, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: James Shaw / Avalon
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- Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy at the Oppenheimer movie photocall, Trafalgar Square, London, UK in London, UK, on 12th July 2023,Image: 789053822, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Oppenheimer Premiere held at Grand Rex in Paris, France. Featuring: Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Christopher Nolan When: 11 Jul 2023 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Oppenheimer Premiere held at Grand Rex in Paris, France. Featuring: Christopher Nolan When: 11 Jul 2023 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
I am glad to hear him publicly support the Unions.
No one should cross a picket line.
I do wish more of the very wealthy Union members would start a financial fund to support the strikers.
Do it publicly too.
Stephen King comes to mind first. He is hugely wealthy, he seems a decent person. Imagine the huge positive morale boost if he made a statement and “Here is my check”
Speilberg, Warren Beatty, Redford, Shirley McClaine, Streep, DeNiro, Pacino, Hackman, Hoffman, the old guard of Hollywood + Keanu, Bollock, Seth Meyers, Conan, certainly Jimmy Fallon and Kimmel, John Cusack could all donate and make a joint statement.
Mel Brooks is 94+ y/o and has a net worth of $100M. Eastwood is over 91+ too.
How much wealth do these people need at their ages? $50k each or more would be great.
Of course, Alec Baldwin has his own Army of children to provide for, so …he could give a bit less. LOL
Union members should not be financially destroyed bc they are trying to get a fair deal on the work.
The studios are going to try to starve the workers out. Happens every time, IRL.
Agree – I’d like to see more high profile/rich folks putting their money where their mouths are…but in the past, I believe Seth Meyers, Fallon & Kimmel have all supported their own staffs during strikes so hopefully they are doing so now. At the very least I’d like to see more celebs offering up free meals, etc…like Drew Carey
It’s just ironic that the DGA never thought SAG would strike and that WGA by themselves would have to fold and now it’s the DGA by themselves looking like fools. DGA are now in involuntary solidarity which includes the painful job loss but won’t get the benefits and protections that make strikes worth it. Many in the DGA have taken advantage of the iffy line between direction and writing to continue their work (ahem Ryan Murphy even Greta gerwig) but without actors absolutely nothing but reality tv is going to occur. And it probably won’t end soon cuz for all the pain SAG and WGA know this is a unique moment of power with multiple striking guilds. And cuz streaming and big budgets have helped cratered actual profits they have little to lose. Plus it will be harder from a PR standpoint for SAG and WGA to screw the other over right now. As we get into more strikes across America ppl are more willing to support unions and are disgusted by scabs and a lack of solidarity. It’s been decades since unions and labour have had this much support.
I think directors who have so many different roles like producer or writer think they are more irreplaceable. It will genuinely be harder for AI and tech to eliminate that job compared to other jobs. But if corporations have taught us anything it’s that they will do anything to devalue workers while sucking everything out of them and will force you to work for free. It may be harder to sideline directors now but the second it’s possible they will do it with relish.
When speaking to the audience at the london premiere to explain the absences of the actors who had just walked the carpet but had left in solidarity with the beginning of the actors’ strike, Nolan said, “Unfortunately, they are off to write their picket signs for what we believe to be an imminent strike by SAG, joining one of my guilds, the Writers Guild, in the struggle for fair wages for working members of their union.”
I’m glad to hear him say this as well. I think he’s more inclined to support the unions since his brother is a writer and has written on many of his movies.
Man, what is going on this summer? First Indiana Jones disappoints–then M:I 7? How much more proof do studios need that audiences are tired of endlessly recycled IP? Something innovative needs to be done soon, for between the strikes, this news, and theaters still struggling, the whole industry could easily collapse from inertia.