Just over a month after the project was first announced, the Michael Bay-produced pandemic thriller Songbird won’t be soaring into production anytime soon as Variety has brought word that SAG-AFTRA has hit the film with a “Do Not Work” order.
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The project was first announced in mid-May with hopes to shoot the film in Los Angeles on a low-budget and adhering to the proper safety protocols the current global climate is imposing on film and TV productions, but it appears production company On A Lark Productions LLC has failed to “complete the signatory process” with SAG-AFTRA and resulted in the latter slapping the project with a “do not work” order that would result in discipline to any actor who signs on.
“As such, SAG-AFTRA members are hereby instructed to withhold any acting services or perform any covered work for this production until further notice from the union,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “Please note, accepting employment or rendering services on ‘Songbird; may be considered a violation of Global Rule One. Violating this order may result in disciplinary action in accordance with the SAG-AFTRA Constitution.”
In a follow-up statement, a spokesperson for SAG-AFTRA confirmed that the producers of the film have “not been transparent” about the safety measures they intend on utilizing during production, which is something the organization “takes very seriously” before closing with no further comments.
Plot details place the story two years in the future, where the pandemic has not subsided, and worse, continues to mutate. The characters would deal with lockdowns, government conspiracies and paranoia.
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Bay is producing alongside Goodman and Eben Davidson of Invisible Narratives. Adam Mason (Into the Dark) will direct from a script by Simon Boyes.
(Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for 6 Underground)
