US premiere of Oppenheimer gets canceled amid ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike

The movie will be screened.

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, reports Variety.

“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,” read a statement from Universal Pictures as quoted by Variety.

Earlier, during the London premiere of the movie, the cast had left the event to show solidarity with the strike.

The premiere was held on July 13.

Read: Hollywood actors, writers go on strike but why are they doing so?

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher officially announced the commencement of the strike from July 14.

“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, reports Variety.

“We talked about it,” Damon told Variety on 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 Blunt told Variety: “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.”