It looks like AMC will be able to resume production with its planned spinoffs for The Walking Dead franchise and Interview with the Vampire. Deadline reports that AMC signed interim agreements with the actors union, SAG-AFTRA, for The Walking Dead spinoffs Daryl Dixon and The Ones Who Live and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire.
Per the report, the new agreement with the guild is specific to the three aforementioned shows, rather than a long-term agreement between AMC Networks and SAG-AFTRA. AMC Networks confirmed the agreements with the outlet but didn’t offer any further details.
THE WALKING DEAD SPINOFFS AND INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE TO RESUME PRODUCTION AT AMC NETWORKS
Currently, SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are embroiled in ongoing labor strikes against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Companies (AMPTP), representing the major studios. However, while AMC Networks is considered an “authorized company” under the AMPTP, it is not one of the studios currently involved in the negotiations with the AMPTP for new contracts with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
Deadline notes that this is the most significant of IPs to strike an agreement since the start of the actors’ strike. Shows resuming production under interim agreements during the strike is not wholly unprecedented. Other shows are also working under interim agreements with the union, including The Chosen and Apple TV+’s Tehran, which received an interim agreement due to its international subject matter, and the indie series Cha Cha Real Smooth.
The SAG-AFTRA website also details specific exceptions for the current labor strike. The union does allow actors to work on independent productions provided they agree to the terms with the guild “on an interim basis.” So there are ways for shows to resume production, but since AMC Networks worked out interim agreements with three aforementioned shows, new long-term agreements will have to be negotiated and signed later on.
Thanks to the interim agreement, Interview with the Vampire will reportedly be able to resume filming its upcoming second season in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Meanwhile, Daryl Dixon will begin filming its second season in Europe. The Ones Who Live, the new spinoff featuring Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira reprising their roles as Rick and Michonne Grimes, already wrapped principal photography, but Deadline reports that the show still has work left to do in post-production, including ADR.
AMC Networks CEO Kristin Dolan previously said that the ongoing strikes wouldn’t start affecting their content until well into 2024. Well, now that their agreements to resume production on these three shows, they will have the spinoffs ready to go in 2024.
The first season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will have its premiere on Sept. 10. The show stars Norman Reedus, who reprises his longtime role as Daryl after the character washes ashore in France. While there, Daryl tries to piece together how he got there and why. As Daryl makes his way across the broken but resilient France, Daryl now searches for a way back home.
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Daryl Dixon also stars Clémence Poésy, Adam Nagaitis, Anne Charrier, Eriq Ebouaney, Laika Blanc Francard, Romain Levi, and Louis Puech Scigliuzzi. The series is executive produced by Scott M. Gimple, with David Zabel as showrunner. Reedus, Greg Nicotero, Angela Kang, Brian Bockrath, and Daniel Percival are also attached as executive producers. The first season will consist of six episodes.
The Ones Who Live will finally offer fans a conclusion for the story arcs of Rick and Michonne, who were separated in the original series when it appeared to the main cast that Rick had died. Rick and Michonne now find themselves thrown into a war that started as a war against the dead and now becomes a war against the living. The question remains if the two lovers can find each other again, and what will happen when they do?
The new spinoff is slated to debut later next year. Gimple is serving as the showrunner and executive producer of the series. Lincoln, Gurira, Denise Huth, and Bockrath are also attached as executive producers.
The Interview with the Vampire series will now be able to resume production of its second season. Production was paused earlier in July due to the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike. The series is created by Rolin Jones and stars Brits Assad Zaman, Jacob Anderson, and Delainey Hayles.
It’s based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Anne Rice, which was later adapted into the 1994 movie starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. The first season of Interview with the Vampire finished airing on AMC last November. It was already renewed for a second season ahead of the series debut.
The WGA strike against the AMPTP is now in its fifth month, and the SAG-AFTRA strike is nearing two months in length. As of now, there appears to be no end in sight for the strikes. However, there are exceptions such as this popping up. There are also cases such as the independent film studio A24, which will be allowed to continue using SAG-AFTRA talents as they’ve accepted all of the union’s terms.
What do you think of the news? Are you happy to see The Walking Dead and Interview With the Vampire shows will be able to resume production at AMC? Let us know your thoughts about the news on The Illuminerdi’s social media.
SOURCE: Deadline
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