It seems that the upcoming production of HBO’s House of Dragon Season 2 will not be affected by the strike announced by SAG-AFTRA, the Hollywood actors’ trade union. The reason for this is that the actors in the show are British and are working under contracts governed by the UK’s Equity, the performing arts and entertainment industries in the region. Equity members are not legally allowed to strike in solidarity with their American counterparts. Equity shared its recommended guidance for the strike with its 47,000 members, stating that it will support SAG-AFTRA and its members through lawful means.
However, Equity also highlighted that performers in the UK who join the strike or refuse to cross a picket line will have no legal protection against dismissal or breach of contract claims from the producers or engagers. Similarly, if Equity encourages anyone to join the strike or not cross a picket line, it would be acting unlawfully and could be held liable for damages or face an injunction.
House of Dragon is a prequel to the popular fantasy TV series Game of Thrones, which concluded in 2019. The series is set approximately 200 years before the events of the original show and focuses on the Targaryens’ struggle for the Iron Throne in the fictional continent of Westeros. The conflict, known as the Dance of the Dragons, was a civil war among different factions of the Targaryen family that resulted in widespread destruction.
The cast of the show’s first season includes Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Milly Alcock, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel, Olivia Cooke, Emily Carey, Graham McTavish, Matthew Needham, Jefferson Hall, Harry Collett, Leo Hart, Tom Glynn-Carney, Ty Tennant, Ewan Mitchell, Leo Ashton, Phia Saban, Evie Allen, Bethany Antonia, Shani Smethurst, Phoebe Campbell, Eva Ossei-Gerning.
The SAG-AFTRA strike comes after the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike that started on May 3. Notably, this strike marks the first time since 1980 that both actors and writers are striking simultaneously.
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