The crew of strike-affected production Apples Never Fall has made an impassioned plea to Matchbox Pictures and NBCUniversal to “do the right thing” after they were stood down without pay.
In an open letter published by the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) at the end of last week that has since garnered more than 500 signatures, the crew said their termination a fortnight ago without one week’s pay demonstrated a disregard for their wellbeing.
Apples Never Fall, a series adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name that had begun filming in Queensland with Sam Neill and Annette Bening, was one of a number of productions placed on hiatus in July as a result of the SAG-AFTRA strike. The shoot had been planned to run until the end of August.
While there is no legal requirement to offer one week’s pay if notice is given – and IF understands the studio met all contractual and statutory pay requirements including holiday pay accrual – the MEAA argues compensation should be provided for the hardship the producers’ decision to suspend production had caused.
“Our members are steadfast in their support for the strikes in the US and understand the reasons why actors and writers are taking industrial action there, but unfortunately they are now experiencing financial hardship because of the action of the same major Hollywood studios, in this case NBCUniversal,” MEAA acting director of entertainment, crew and sport Nikau Irvine told IF.
“NBCUniversal is a major player globally within the film production industry and not by any means a small studio and they need to do the right thing by the crew of Apples Never Fall.
“This is an example of insecure work that is prevalent in the screen industry in Australia with workers being left out in the cold without any support.”
Apples Never Fall was part of a pipeline of projects brought to Australia by Universal Studio Group, which has included six productions in Queensland since 2020, with more planned.
In a statement, NBCUniversal said it was looking forward to getting back work on Apples Never Fall in the state.
“NBCUniversal is committed to our ongoing investment in Australian production, infrastructure, and training,” the company said.