Summary
- The upcoming Alien series, produced by Ridley Scott and showrun by Noah Hawley, has officially halted production due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
- The cast, who were filming in Thailand, have been sent home, but crew members are still working and preparing sets for when production resumes.
- The cast members affiliated with the British trade union, Equity, had been allowed to continue filming prior to the production halt, while others, like Sydney Chandler, a member of SAG-AFTRA, have not been involved in filming.
The upcoming Alien series officially halts production as the actors strike continues, but the crew remains working. First announced in December 2020, the series includes original Alien director Ridley Scott as a producer. Noah Hawley, known for his work on the Fargo television adaptation in addition to the dark comic book adaptation Legion, serves as showrunner. It had been expected that the Alien show would be impacted by the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike for fair contracts, which has now been confirmed.
According to Deadline, filming on FX’s Alien has been suspended due to the ongoing actors strike. The cast, which had been filming in Thailand, were sent home. Sources say the show’s production was adjusted to account for the work stoppage, and that crew members are still working, with sets being prepared, for when production resumes once the strike is over. All scripts for the series were completed prior to the start of the writers strike in May.
Why The Alien Cast Has Been Allowed To Film During A Strike
Production on the Alien series has continued for more than a month into the actors strike because some of the cast members are affiliated with the British union Equity. Per Deadline, they had been told they were at risk of being sued for breach of contract if they walked off the set in solitary with their American colleagues. Sydney Chandler, a member of the American SAG-AFTRA, has not been involved in filming.
Along with news of the production halt are some notes about the cast. Besides Chandler, who had a role in the thriller Don’t Worry Darling, the Alien ensemble includes Kit Young (Shadow and Bone), Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World), Samuel Blenkin (Black Mirror), Essie Davis (The Babadook), and Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger). It’s said that Young’s role in Alien will not impact his part in Shadow and Bone if the Netflix show is renewed.
Lawther has been chosen to play a soldier named CJ; Blenkin, meanwhile, plays the CEO Boy Kavalier. Davis has the role of Dame Silvia, with Gourav portraying a character by the name of Slightly. Young’s character is named Tootles. Beyond these character names, plot details about the Alien show remain under wraps.
Source: Deadline