House of the Dragon Will Continue Filming

Television

An Entertainment Weekly editorial recently revealed that the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes will not stop House of the Dragon’s active production. Laws and unions are different in the U.K., where the series is currently filming. On Thursday, Equity, the U.K.’s labor union for actors, said they “will support SAG-AFTRA and its members by all lawful means.” Essentially, they support them, but they may not be able to stop working. Paul W. Fleming, Equity’s General Secretary, had this to add: 

“Industrial relations legislation in the United Kingdom is draconian, and often viewed as the most restrictive in the Western world. The convoluted and pernicious hurdles faced by all unions in the United Kingdom are a national disgrace and need urgent reform. The regrettable consequence of this framework is that what artists working in the United Kingdom — whether SAG-AFTRA and/or Equity members (or both) — can do, may be different from their comrades in the United States and other parts of the world.”

It’s interesting to learn that labor laws in the United Kingdom are so restrictive. I tend to think of them as more liberal than us in general, but it’s easier to make assumptions and generalizations when you don’t interact much with something firsthand. This is good news for fans of the show, but I hope the actors genuinely want to work at this time. I would hate to think they simply lack the freedom and professional autonomy of their U.S. counterparts.

But what do you think? Let us know in the comments!