Cillian Murphy put on a very dapper display as he walked the red carpet on Thursday night for Oppenheimer.
However, the movie was overshadowed by the actor strike that was confirmed during the premiere.
This led to the Irishman alongside his co-stars including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and honorary Irish citizen Matt Damon leaving the premiere.
The premiere of the movie was actually brought forward by an hour ahead of a Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’ (SAG-AFTRA) press conference in Los Angeles.
View this post on Instagram
It was later declared that the US union had agreed to strike.
This means that actors cannot work including taking part in press and promotion of their work. This is why the actors all left the screening.
Director Christopher Nolan spoke on stage at the screening, saying: “I have to acknowledge the work of our incredible cast, led by Cillian Murphy.
“The list is enormous – Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Kenneth Branagh, Rami Malek and so many more. You’ve seen them here earlier on the red carpet.
It’s begun: Christopher Nolan, telling the attendees of the Oppenheimer premiere that the actors swiftly left to “write their [@sagaftra] picket signs.” 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/NtkG0G0Utl
— AFL-CIO ✊ (@AFLCIO) July 14, 2023
“Unfortunately, they are off to write their picket signs for what we believe to be an imminent strike by SAG, joining one of my guilds, the Writers Guild, in the struggle for fair wages for working members of their union.”
It is reported that Paul Mescal’s film, the sequel to Gladiator, has also shut down production.
It’s believed that the strike will affect upcoming award shows, premieres, events and film festivals, including the Toronto and Venice film festivals, and the 75th Emmys.
Oppenheimer comes to cinemas on Friday 21st July
