Universal Pictures has canceled the upcoming red carpet at the U.S premiere of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” amid the SAG-AFTRA strike. The movie will still be screened, however. The premiere is set to take place on Monday, July 17 at 7pm ET in New York City at the AMC Loews Lincoln Square theater. SAG-AFTRA called a union strike on July 13, with the first day of picketing beginning July 14.
“In support of the ongoing SAG strike, the filmmakers of ‘Oppenheimer’ will not be proceeding with the NY premiere as originally planned, and will instead screen the movie to celebrate the crew and craftspeople who contributed to making this landmark film,” a statement from Universal Pictures read.
The decision to cancel the U.S. premiere’s red carpet comes on the heels of the “Oppenheimer” cast leaving the film’s U.K. premiere early in solidarity with the strike, which at that point had not yet been officially called. The U.K. premiere took place July 13 just hours before SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher officially called for the strike to begin the following day.
“Oppenheimer” cast members such as Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon and Emily Blunt walked the U.K. red carpet but did not attend the screening of the film. Nolan informed the audience that his actors left the premiere to start making picket signs for the strike. The premiere’s red carpet even got bumped up an hour early so that cast members could walk it and promote the film without interfering with a potential strike.
“We talked about it,” Damon toldPvNewon the U.K. carpet about leaving the premiere early if need be. “Look, if it’s called now, everyone’s going to walk obviously in solidarity … once the strike is officially called, [we’re walking].That’s why we moved this [red carpet] up because we know the second it’s called, we’re going home.”
Damon added: “We gave the strike authorization. We voted 98% to 2% to do that because we know our leadership has our best interest at heart.”
Emily BlunttoldPvNew: “Obviously we stand with all of the actors and at whatever point it’s called, we’re going to be going home and standing together through it because I want everyone to get a fair deal.”
Although it had not yet been confirmed which cast members were to attend the film’s upcoming U.S. premiere in New York, it was expected Murphy, Blunt and a majority of the ensemble would show up if a strike was not going on. “Oppenheimer” opens in theaters nationwide July 21.
