Movies

Christopher Nolan says ‘Oppenheimer’ cast walkout at premiere due to strike ‘was bittersweet’

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Social Links for Nika Shakhnazarova
Published July 19, 2023
Updated July 19, 2023, 8:00 a.m. ET

Director Christopher Nolan said it was “bittersweet” to see the cast of “Oppenheimer” walkout during the film’s premiere in London last week as the SAG-AFTRA strike rages on.

“It was a bittersweet moment,” the Oscar-nominated filmmaker, 52, said on the Today Show Tuesday. “We were all there. “We were very fortunate.”

Nolan praised the cast, which includes Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh, for supporting the blockbuster, set for release Friday.

He was also happy the actors posed for photos on the red carpet before abruptly leaving to “go and write their picket signs” in solidarity with the thousands of people protesting across the US.

“We had the opportunity to somewhat celebrate the film and the actors were all there to support, but then when the time came had to down tools and go off in support of all of their fellow actors and then support the writers as well,” Nolan said.

The main cast of "Oppenheimer" attending the premiere, which occurred in London last week as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues.
The main cast of “Oppenheimer” attending the premiere, which occurred in London last week as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues. Getty Images

The filmmaker said that the dispute between entertainers and streaming top dogs marks “an important moment in the industry.”

“The business models have been rewritten by the companies we work for, and it’s time to rewrite the deals,” he added. “Hopefully, with everybody unified, that can happen quickly as possible.”

The cast joined thousands of actors and entertainers striking in Hollywood with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for the first time in over six decades.

Nolan said the cast walking out of the "Oppenheimer" premiere was "bittersweet."
Nolan said the cast walking out of the “Oppenheimer” premiere was “bittersweet.” Getty Images

The SAG-AFTRA unanimously voted to stop working after their contract expired and talks broke off with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents streamers Disney, Netflix, Amazon and others.

The strike marks the first time the 160,000-member-strong SAG-AFTRA has walked out from film and television since 1980.

The actor-screenwriter strike is the first joint walkout in more than six decades — and has the potential to block dozens of upcoming projects — such as the “Avatar” and “Gladiator” sequels — until a new contract with studios and streaming services is reached.

Both SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are demanding a rise in pay and residuals in the streaming era.

They are also seeking assurances that their work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence in the near future.