“The Chosen,” a television series about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, has been granted a waiver to continue filming amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
The biblical drama, which stars Jonathan Roumie as the Christian deity, had its world broadcast premiere Sunday night on The CW following its Netflix streaming launch. The fourth season of the series is currently filming in Utah.
“Great news! We just received word from SAG that we have been approved for a waiver. We’ll continue shooting on Monday,” the show’s official Twitter feed announced.
According to Deadline, “The Chosen” is the first production to be granted a waiver due to the fact that it doesn’t have major studio backing. Hollywood went on hiatus last week when the 160,000-member labor union joined screenwriters on the picket line after stalled contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Both SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America (WGA), who began their strike in May, are seeking protections regarding the use of artificial intelligence, better residual pay from streaming platforms.
Tony Awards organizers were denied a waiver from the Writers Guild of America but struck a deal to produce an “altered version” of the Broadway-focused ceremony without picketing.
Last month, Oscar winners like Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and Ariana DeBose were among the hundreds of SAG members who signed a letter in which they laid out their demands to prevent a strike.
A day after the strike began, “The Chosen” creator, director and co-writer Dallas Jenkins pleaded his case for a waiver, sharing on Instagram that the production “fit all qualifications for an exemption.”
“Every day that goes by without your response costs us hundreds of thousands of dollars while your actors are stuck in Utah. We’re the good guys; we’ve treated your actors well. Please take the few minutes to approve our application so your actors can get back to work getting paid for the last two weeks of a season they want to finish.”
