Last week as we reported the commencement of the SAG-AFTRA strike, we also listed several projects that would likely be affected. Among the titles was the upcoming Alien television series commissioned by FX.
Now it has come to light that the show is pressing ahead with production and has reportedly begun filming in Thailand.
You may wonder how this is possible, as it seems all of Hollywood as come to a stop with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA joining forces and refusing to work. However, if a project employs people that aren’t members of that guild, they can easily skirt around the strike action and have no need to pull the plug on their project.
Filming in Thailand presents the possibility that the series’ entire crew could be local, and therefore non-union. The same logic applies to the likes of background actors, or even some of the main cast. However, it’s also entirely possible that FX intentionally recruited non-union cast and crew members from the States fearing the looming strike action. Non-union actors and crew are still freely able to work, especially if outside the United States.
We know none of this for sure, as when reached for comment via Variety, both FX and showrunner Chris Lowenstein declined to comment. However, if true, this could attract considerable negative publicity toward the project.
The FX series is being produced in tandem with Fede Alvarez’s new Alien sequel for 20th Century Studios and Disney+, however, the two projects are unrelated. The only concrete update we’ve gotten on this project is the cast, including that actress Sydney Chandler was cast in the lead.
This presents a further quandary as Chandler is a SAG-AFRA member… So, just what is afoot with this mysterious project? We will be watching this story closely and bring you any further updates.
