Andorhas been ably battling against the Empire as it attempts to bring down the Hollywood Death Star, but it looks like its efforts are going to be in vain as we approach the finishing line, with Disney’s critically-acclaimedStar Warsseries being forced to temporarily halt shooting due to the ongoingSAG-AFTRA strike.
The second season shoot is extremely close to wrapping, just weeks away in fact, but it won’t be able to conclude the filming without all members of the cast who are part of the Screen Actors' Guild.According to Deadline, filming has been continuing throughout both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes due to a combination of factors, those being that the scripts on the series were finished in advance of the writers' strike beginning, with no need for amendments, and an additional factor in regard to the acting element.
The show will continue to shoot as long as is logistically possible without its SAG-AFTRA members. Due to its filming taking place at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom, the location means that the cast has been bulked out by members of Equity, the British acting union, and the equivalent of SAG-AFTRA across the pond. Those performers, while keen tosupport their American counterparts, have been warned that they risk being sued for breach of contract if they were to abandon their posts in solidarity, and as such, find themselves working under duress for the time being.
RELATED:‘Andor’s Tony Gilroy: “It’s Left to the Unions to Protect This Industry"Filming Is About a Sense of Community
WhenAndorwill be able to finally finish shooting is anybody’s guess at this stage of the game, given that its leading actors are all on strike. The show’s creator,Tony Gilroy, spoke to Collider’sMaggie Lovittand shared his own thoughts regarding the strike, and emphasized the importance of the community banding together within the film and television industries.
“Look, I mean, not to transition too hard, but that’s what’s going on right now with the labor problems in Hollywood. You have this massive community of creative people in all departments everywhere. They’ve spent their lives, and some of them are second and third generation, some of them are just brand new; whatever it is, they’ve all come there, and they’re all part of this thing. Sadly, we’re in the place right now where the unions are the people that are trying to preserve this industry, this amazing American industry that grew up this incredible system that we have. And who’s trying to protect it? It’s left to the unions to attempt to protect this industry. That sense of community, I think, is the thing that will drive a successful conclusion to all this labor trouble.”
Andor’s first season was critically acclaimed and was given eight nominations at last week’s Emmy Awards announcement, including a shout for Best Dramatic Series,although starDiego Lunawas shockingly snubbed in the lead acting category.AndorSeason 2 is tentatively scheduled for release in August 2024, although given the fluidity of the situation, that could change.
Check out our interview with Gilroy for Star Wars Celebration, where he spoke about rushing to get the scripts for the series finished in time ahead of the WGA strike:
