SAG-AFTRA announced on Monday that it will no longer approve indie films for production, specifically those that were written under a Writers Guild of America contract. This had caused some backlash within the union. Already, 207 “independent” films had been given the greenlight to continue to film during the strike — those specific productions will not be affected by this latest decision. SAG halting any production greenlighting is, according to them, a way to “assist” the WGA in executing their strike strategy. Basically, solidarity.
The ‘Smile’ franchise has a new director. David Bruckner, who made “The Night House” and the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, has been hired to direct “Smile 3” for Paramount.