Actors strike puts Gladiator 2 filming in Malta on hold

An ongoing strike by Hollywood actors is disrupting filming of the sequel to Gladiator, according to reports by the Times of Malta.

The strike was announced after talks between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and major production studios such as Disney and Netflix collapsed.

The two parties failed to reach an agreement over pay, working conditions, and the use of generative artificial intelligence in film production.

SAG-AFTRA represents roughly 160,000 actors, journalists, artists and other media professionals worldwide.

Due to the strike, a number of extras hired in Malta were reportedly asked not to come in to work on Friday (today).

The financial implications for the shutdown were reportedly huge, with preparations having been underway ahead of the strike in the past few days.

A local film producer, Martin Bonnici told the Times of Malta that the production employed hundreds of crew and extra, whoever at risk of losing their jobs if filming paused for too long.

The strike by SAG-AFTRA joins another concurrent strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), a union of roughly 11,500 writers involved in the media industry that started on 2nd May over similar issues.

The converging of the two strikes is recognised as the largest industrywide shutdown in more than 60 years, affecting several productions such as the upcoming Spider-Man sequal, The Handmaid's Tale and Community: The Movie.

Featured Image: A scene from Gladiator via Facebook