Between the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, there isn’t much in the way of productions going on in the United States as film/television workers are looking to get a fair deal in the wake of streaming and the increasing threat of artificial intelligence. While multiple shows and movies have halted some are pushing through such as the upcoming/untitled Earthbound “Alien” prequel streaming series coming from Noah Hawley (“Fargo,” “Legion”)

A new report from Deadline is now confirming that filming in Thailand is going ahead as planned with the addition of actors such as “Andor” supporting cast member Alex Lawther (“Black Mirror”) and Samuel Blenkin (“Black Mirror,” “The Sandman”). The rest of the cast includes Sydney Chandler (“Don’t Worry Darling”), Essie Davis, and Adarsh Gourav. All the deals had reportedly been secured before the strike and Equity performers (the UK union for actors) have been told if they walk they would be sued. Sounds like a totally normal and not all bizarre environment to be shooting a show in.

The outlet adds shooting has already started this week with none of the actors on set being SAG-AFTRA, which allows them to shoot the show without crossing the picket line. Actors like Chandler, who are part of the union, are said to be not involved in the current round of filming as it’s expected their scenes will be shot at a later date once the actors’ strike is resolved.

Of course, is sort of an odd time for the “Alien” franchise as the newest feature film from filmmaker Fede Alvarez had recently wrapped filming as that project had been upgraded from a Hulu-exclusive to landing a prime August 16, 2024, theatrical release date from 20th Century Studios/Disney. The thinking likely is that given how big of a hit “Prey” has been they didn’t want to lose an opportunity to actually make some cash off the sci-fi horror film.

It’s still unclear when the FX on Hulu series will be airing as the scheduling for shooting scenes with the attached SAG-AFRTRA actors will likely be determined by how long the strike goes on back in the United States. What hypothetically could end up happening if the studio runs out of patience is that those striking actors could end up being recast, although, that seems like an extremely stupid move on their part.

SOURCE: DEADLINE