It had just seven days left to shoot.
He was gutted, says someone in the room as McGregor gave a brief address to cast and crew.
If America sneezes, Britain gets a cold, says Tina Gharavi, director of Netflixs noisy docudramaQueen Cleopatra.
Ewan McGregor (and mustache) at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in June
On the sneeze scale, the strikes are an almighty harrumph.
They are an existential battle for the wealth that has flowed from an era of dazzling creative abundance.
Equity, meanwhile, has gone above and beyond its duty to members.
One rep admits that they downed tools because they were so anxious about putting clients in a difficult position.
Its just the same as one railway company going on strike and another continuing to operate, he explains.
The bastard is the blast damage, laments a senior source on a shuttered production.
For many, it has evoked memories of the collective trauma that was the pandemic.
Disneys Star Wars seriesAndorhas been shooting with actors on Equity contracts, but will soon be forced to pause.
Big ticket movies downed by the strike includeDeadpool 3andWicked.
We had just hit shooting pace when suddenly, the rug was pulled out from underneath us.
The source thinks that Disney was happy shutteringAmateurto demonstrate the absolute impact of the strike.
Theres a lot of self-righteous froth going on at the moment, theAmateurinsider says.
eOne gave crew a weeks notice onA Gentleman in Moscow.
People were released to work on other projects and the shows set was put into storage.
There is no guarantee that the team who worked on the series will be reunited.
The union has alreadydeclared an emergency for unemployed freelancersin unscripted television.
Some crew onAmateurwere told it could be as long as six months before a resolution is reached.
The unions are going to have their strike.
The studio bosses are going to see whether it can be broken.
Everybodys got to get back around the table.
Thats six weeks at the very least.
The longer the strike goes on, the more entrenched problems will become.
The recovery from Covid has been fragile.
Its the perfect storm, Childs acknowledges.
The Film And TV Charity says it had seen a notable uptick in inquiries from people in turmoil.
Joint Managing Director Superna Sethi says: Its not an ideal situation and we empathize with all studios.
The message from union leaders is clear: the pain will be worth it in the long run.
Were using our position to advance a broader struggle of workers in the entertainment industry, says Equitys Fleming.
This argument has resonated with some.
Jon Thoday, the powerful British talent agent, agrees that the disruption will be worthwhile.
He says the strikes have opened unexpected opportunities.
Oliver is now embarking on a rare standup tour in America.
Talent tends to find a place to entertain, Thoday smiles.
Others are optimistic that the British indie film scene can get a boost.
Others are considering prioritizing projects originally planned for 2024.
Its going to be interesting to see whether we can fast-track that.
Studios have space, kit is on shelves, crew are at home waiting, he tweeted.
Thats the UK being a victim of its own success, he argues.
We should be looking at how we better support UK filmmaking, Childs adds.
British Film Institute figures lay bare this disparity.
