SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, has made interim agreements with three AMC series to resume production amid their strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The three shows are spinoffs in the Walking Dead franchise and Interview With the Vampire.
These agreements mark the highest-profile TV projects to secure interim agreements during the strike’s seventh week. SAG-AFTRA has reached interim agreements with several hundred independent productions since the strike began in mid-July.
While AMC Networks, the producer of the three shows, is a member of AMPTP, it is not involved in negotiations with SAG-AFTRA. The agreements are specific to The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (bringing back Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira), and Interview With the Vampire. They do not include any other AMC shows.
Daryl Dixon’s second season had already filmed some scenes in France before going on hiatus, which coincided with the strike’s start. This show, along with Interview With the Vampire, will resume production. The Ones Who Live, which features the return of Rick Grimes (Lincoln) and Michonne (Gurira) after their departure from the flagship series, had finished filming before the strike. However, the interim agreement allows the cast to carry out postproduction work such as additional dialogue recording.
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SAG-AFTRA’s interim agreements have sparked controversy among a few union members who believe they go against the spirit of the strike. These agreements require productions to adhere to terms proposed by the union before the strike, including an 11% increase in minimum wages and revenue sharing for streaming projects.
On August 14, SAG-AFTRA modified the agreements, stating they will not be offered to productions covered by a Writers Guild of America contract that are produced in the United States.
Other TV projects that have secured interim agreements include the biblical drama The Chosen, the docuseries Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, and Tehran from Apple TV+.
All three AMC series are scheduled to air in 2024, while AMC Networks CEO Kristin Dolan stated during the company’s quarterly earnings call that they have enough programming to last well into next year.
In conclusion, SAG-AFTRA has reached interim agreements with three AMC series to resume production amid their strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. These agreements have generated controversy within the union, but they allow the shows to continue filming and carry out postproduction work. Other TV projects have also secured interim agreements, ensuring a steady stream of content for viewers.
