The Gray Man is the latest film to be given a SAG-AFTRA strike waiver in a tentative agreement to the union’s conditions.
Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman’s Civil War drama “The Gray House” has become one of the significant projects to secure an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA amid the ongoing strike. The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has been on strike since July 14, with 160,000 Hollywood actors advocating for fairer pay and protection against AI usage.
Despite the strike, SAG-AFTRA has allowed certain companies and projects to continue if they comply with the union’s terms. “The Gray House,” a six-part series produced by Costner’s Territory Pictures and Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment for Paramount Global, is the most prominent project so far to obtain this agreement. Announced in September 2022, the series brings to life a compelling Civil War-era spy story.
Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, who previously co-starred in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” are producing “The Gray House,” although it’s not clear if they will appear in the series themselves. Leslie Greif, along with Darrell Fetty, wrote the script, and Greif’s Big Dreams Entertainment is part of the production team.
“The Gray House” is based on the true story of three women credited by General Ulysses S. Grant with significantly influencing the outcome of the American Civil War in favor of the North. These women formed a spy ring that played a crucial role in preserving American democracy by countering the Confederate High Command.
Filming for the series began in Eastern Europe before the SAG-AFTRA strike, with the cast yet to be announced. The series is one of over 60 projects that have secured interim agreements with SAG-AFTRA. The union is currently striking against major studios and streaming services in New York and Los Angeles.
Other projects that have reached interim agreements include Apple’s “Tehran,” “The Chosen” (a series about Jesus), and “The Killer’s Game.” Independent entertainment company A24, known for the Oscar-winning “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” has also received approval to proceed with two upcoming films, “Mother Mary” and “I Dream of Unicorns.”
The end date for the SAG-AFTRA strike remains uncertain.
