As the largest strike in decades brings the entertainment industry to a halt, the Screen Actors Guild granted a rare waiver for "The Chosen" series about Jesus of Nazareth to continue production.
Hollywood actors joined screenwriters earlier in July in their months-long strike against studios, streaming services and production companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). This is the first time in over half a century that the two unions have been on strike simultaneously. This is bringing entire shows to a standstill as actors who are union members are no longer permitted to perform in many productions.
"The Chosen", a popular adaptation of Jesus’ life in the New Testament, was one production that was initially impacted by the strike, as some of its actors were involved in the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
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The show's official Twitter account tweeted as the strike began that it would "wait and hope that either the strike ends (unlikely soon), or that we’re granted an exemption and can resume filming."
The account went on to add, in reference to a popular Bible story about a small amount of loaves and fishes miraculously feeding a massive crowd, "Yes, it’s upsetting and will cost time and money…but we bring our 5 loaves & 2 fish. God handles the rest."
Soon after, Entertainment Weekly reported, "SAG-AFTRA granted the series an exemption from the strike because it's an independently funded production with few ties to the the [sic] Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the representative body of the studios that SAG-AFTRA is striking against.
The show's Twitter account announced that SAG had negotiated an agreement with them, due to the nature of their production’s funding.
"Update: Great news! We just received word from SAG that we have been approved for a waiver. We’ll continue shooting on Monday," the account explained. "To be clear: 1. We’ve agreed to all of SAG’s requests and their interim agreement. 2. Season 4 is entirely independent and 100% funded by donations."
Series creator Dallas Jenkins had initially written a heartfelt note to SAG-AFTRA that was published publicly on Instagram.
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"We’ve submitted all the requested paperwork immediately. We fit all qualifications for an exemption. You have our application for it," Jenkins wrote. "Every day that goes by without your response costs us hundreds of thousands of dollars while your actors are stuck in Utah."
He went on to defend his production team as the "good guys" who treat their actors fairly.
"We’re the good guys; we’ve treated your actors well. Please take the few minutes to approve our application so your actors can get back to work getting paid for the last two weeks of a season they want to finish," he wrote.
