LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 A pair of spinoffs of 鈥淭he Walking Dead鈥 and the next season of 鈥淚nterview With the Vampire鈥 can resume production despite the ongoing Hollywood strikes after reaching an agreement with the actors' union.
The three AMC series are the highest-profile television productions yet to get what's known as an from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
The approval was granted Wednesday because the cable channel AMC and production company Stalwart Films are not part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers 鈥 the coalition of studios the actors are striking against 鈥 though they are what's known as 鈥渁uthorized companies鈥 that abide by the contracts reached by the AMPTP.
鈥淭he Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon鈥 and 鈥淚nterview With the Vampire鈥 will now resume shooting their second seasons. And the deal will allow actors to do post-production work on the first season of 鈥淭he Walking Dead: Those Who Live.鈥
No new writing will be allowed on the series because the Writers Guild of America, in perhaps the most significant divergence in strategy with the actors union, has opted not to grant any such agreements.
SAG-AFTRA's tactic of granting interim agreements 鈥 which have been given to hundreds of films and shows produced outside the major studios so long as they grant actors the terms the union asked for in their last offer July 12 鈥 has drawn objections from many union members who feel they're undermining their objectives.
Union leaders, while conceding that they did an insufficient job of explaining the strategy at first, have consistently defended it and touted its effectiveness in recent weeks. They say the productions show that their demands are not unreasonable, and they allow others in Hollywood to work.
鈥淚 think that there鈥檚 a greater understanding of the interim agreements, and a realization that actually helping and crew have opportunities for work is going to maintain our resolve鈥 told The Associated Press last week. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to get caught in a place where we feel like we have to compromise our principles because people are desperate to get back to work.鈥
