Latest news with #IATSE
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Will Smith Music Video Makes Union Deal With IATSE After Strike
Producers of a Will Smith music video have reached a deal with IATSE over a union contract after facing a picket line from dismissed workers. The shoot, which was taking place at Quixote's West Hollywood studios, fired workers on Thursday night after they attempted to unionize the project, sources told The Hollywood Reporter. The workers responded by picketing the Breathe Entertainment production on Friday morning. Non-union crew members that had been brought in to replace the dismissed workers also joined the picket line. More from The Hollywood Reporter This Week in Sean "Diddy" Combs' Trial: Freezer Meat, DNA Evidence and Kompromat How to Watch the 2025 American Music Awards Online Without Cable for Free Different President, Same Song: Trump Pulls a Nixon in His Battle Against The Boss As of Friday afternoon, at least some members of the original crew had been allowed to return back to work on the shoot in a sign that the union and the production were collaborating. A few hours later, the union and the producers reached a deal allowing the 35-member crew to continue work under a contract that allowed for health and pension benefits. In a statement, Breathe Entertainment creative director Stephen Trivieri said he was 'just excited to release this video and showcase the work of some of LA's finest crew.' With their unionization push, crew members were focused on gaining union pension and health benefits. When a show 'flips,' or turns from a non-union to a union project, workers can apply their hours worked on the project toward the threshold that is required to have access to the union's health plan and the production helps support the unions benefits plans. At a moment when production work is down in Los Angeles, with one IATSE union leader recently saying that some Locals are at nearly 50 percent unemployment, even short shoots can make the difference for crew members seeking to stay on their unions' health plans. IATSE went public with the strike on Friday morning, posting on the social-media platform X that the crew would be picketing at Quixote Studios 'unless a fair contract is offered to the crew.' The union also informed members not to accept work on the shoot, as it became a struck production. Smith, whose film and television career is still recovering from the 2022 Academy Awards, where he slapped presenter Chris Rock following a joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith, released his first album in two decades in March. Titled Based on a True Story, the album addresses the controversy several times in songs like 'Int. Barbershop' and 'You Lookin' for Me.' May 23, 2:28 p.m. Updated with news that a deal had been reached. May 23, 5:12 p.m. Updated with Stephen Trivieri statement. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stunt Performer Sues Kevin Costner and ‘Horizon 2' Over Unscripted Rape Scene
One day in May 2023, stunt performer Devyn LaBella showed up to the Utah set of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, the second part of the sprawling Western series from Kevin Costner, expecting to double for one of the film's stars in some basic, fairly boring shots. Instead, she says, she was surprised by being subjected to an unscripted, brutal rape scene without proper notice, consent or the presence of a contractually mandated intimacy coordinator. Now, LaBella is suing Costner and the film's production companies for sexual discrimination, harassment and the creation of a hostile work environment. Moreover, the complaint alleges LaBella faced retaliation after she reported the incident by not being called back for subsequent work on the Horizon series and never being hired again by the film's stunt coordinator, with whom she had worked previously. More from The Hollywood Reporter Will Smith Music Video Makes Union Deal With IATSE After Strike Hollywood Commission's Workplace Misconduct Resource Opened Up to All Entertainment Industry Workers L.A. Mayor Vows to Cut Red Tape and Make It Easier to Shoot Movies and Shows In the City 'On that day, I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply betrayed by a system that promised safety and professionalism,' LaBella said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. 'What happened to me shattered my trust and forever changed how I move through this industry.' In a statement, Costner's attorney Marty Singer said his client 'always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously.' He says, however, that the lawsuit has 'absolutely no merit' and is 'completely contradicted by [LaBella's] own actions — and the facts.' The suit represents the latest legal battle for Horizon, as Costner's loan-out firm for the series was recently hit with an arbitration claim for allegedly breaching its co-financing agreement with New Line Cinema. This complaint was filed after settlement discussions with Costner and production company representatives broke down, says James Vagnini of Valli Kane & Vagnini, one of the attorneys representing LaBella, with support from the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund. The Horizon series is the product of decades of hustle from Costner, a veteran of the Western epic, from Dances With Wolves to Hatfields & McCoys to Yellowstone. With no major studio willing to fork over the cash he felt was needed, Costner invested $38 million of his own funds, with the series' first film premiering to anemic box office in June 2024. An ascendant stunt performer who had worked on Barbie and American Horror Stories, LaBella was hired on Horizon's second installment as the lead stunt double for actress Ella Hunt, who plays one of the film's main characters. Hunt's role did involve sexual violence. As part of her contract, the lawsuit maintains, Hunt negotiated a mandatory intimacy coordinator on all nude or intimate scenes, which, as her stunt double, would apply to LaBella as well. Moreover, given that Hunt and LaBella are members of the performers union SAG-AFTRA, their intimate scenes would also be subject to the labor group's regulations, which call for prior notice, consent and a closed set. Everything went by the book for a scripted rape scene that shot on May 1, according to the suit: The scene — where LaBella performed the more physical, rough aspects of the action — was detailed on the day's call sheet, rehearsed with a stunt coordinator and an intimacy coordinator, later monitored by that intimacy coordinator, took place on a closed set and was structured such that performers got breaks in between shots. But rules were allegedly thrown out the window the next day, when LaBella showed up on set to double for two non-intimate sequences and was asked by Costner to stand in for Hunt for a shot. Unbeknownst to LaBella, the complaint claims, Hunt had just walked off of the set, 'visibly upset,' after Costner told her he had just added an impromptu scene of sexual violence perpetuated by a different character than the previous day's scene. LaBella, instructed to lay down on a wagon, allegedly only found out that this was a rape scene after Costner called for actor Roger Ivens to simulate nonconsensual sex on top of her: 'Mr. Ivens violently rustled Ms. LaBella's skirt up as if trying to penetrate her against her will' while pinning her down per the director's orders, the complaint states. No notice had been given, the scene had not been rehearsed, no intimacy coordinator was on set and all of the action was aired on monitors that could be viewed by the entire crew, according to the suit. Costner's attorney Singer maintains that this was a rehearsal without cameras rolling and not a filmed scene itself. The film's stunt coordinators were present, he added. After this rehearsal, LaBella 'gave her Stunt Coordinator supervisor a 'thumbs up' and indicated her willingness to then shoot the scene, if needed,' he states; the scene ended up being shot with a stand-in performer and not LaBella. The lawsuit emphasizes that Costner did not consistently call 'action' or 'cut' during this process, leaving LaBella without time to fully comprehend what was happening as the action repeated. Meanwhile, 'Mr. Ivens never separated from Ms. LaBella,' the suit says, consistently keeping his hand on her body. Moreover, the complaint claims the wardrobe department had not prepared LaBella for her undergarments to be exposed, as they were by the directions Costner was giving Ivens. The complaint describes LaBella as shaken and 'terrified' following this experience. Afterward, she raised concerns and made complaints to several stunt coordinators and to the film's intimacy coordinator, later feeling that many in the production team were treating her with kid gloves, the suit states. She received some apologies from colleagues on the film, but was directed to stay in her trailer, fully costumed and not used on set for several days, the complaint claims. Singer disputes that LaBella made a complaint to the film's stunt coordinators, saying 'she was in good spirits and made no complaints to them' at a dinner the night after the scene. He says that LaBella took stunt coordinator Wade Allen to a thank-you dinner following the production, and sent him a text stating, 'Thank you for these wonderful weeks!' Ultimately, LaBella was not called back for the third film in the series, and Allen did not hire her again, though he had hired her for projects before Horizon. The lawsuit alleges that LaBella's career came to an 'abrupt halt' after the incident. Not only was Allen not hiring her again, but 'the workplace, and stunt work in general, which was once a source of purpose and fulfillment, is now a place of heightened apprehension and the whole experience has left Ms. LaBella feeling 'disposable' and 'worthless,'' the complaint states. If the case goes to trial, LaBella and her attorneys are asking the jury to determine any potential punitive damages. Beyond compensation, the point of the suit is also to 'address the continued failures at the highest levels of Hollywood production companies to comprehend and address the impacts of performing in sexually explicit and violent 'scenes' and the need for intimacy coordination,' the complaint reads. The use of intimacy coordinators in Hollywood exploded after the #MeToo movement prompted a reappraisal of power dynamics on set. Choreographing scenes of an intimate nature, intimacy coordinators are intended to be watchdogs for performer safety and comfort. While some famous performers have embraced them (Rachel Zegler, Phoebe Dynevor), others have waved them off or said they didn't feel they need them, like Mikey Madison and Sean Bean. Per the lawsuit, in this case an intimacy coordinator was mandated by a performer contract, amplifying existing union protections. Says Jennifer Mondino, the senior director of the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, which supported the case, 'The guidelines that are supposed to be followed on regular movie sets weren't being followed.' Adds LaBella's lawyer Vagnini, 'If it can happen on a size of a production worth $100 million or more, imagine what happens on smaller ones where you're really trying to cut corners.' As for Singer, he says, 'The facts are clear and we are beyond confident that Kevin will prevail.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Will Smith music video shoot gets halted after the labours form a picket line against the producers: Report
Will Smith , the talented actor who is otherwise known for the infamous Oscars act, helped to resolve a feud between the production and the labourers while shooting a music video for his latest album. What happened at the Will Smith's music video shoot? According to The Wrap, the union labourers (IATSE) picketed on the set against the Toronto and Miami-based production house, Breathe Entertainment. The producers dismissed 35 on-ground labourers after a clash over health and pension benefits for the music video shoot. The IATSE quite publicly addressed the situation and threatened to form a picket line. — IATSE (@IATSE) The IATSE Local 80's business manager stated that the union asked the producers to recognise the benefits, and they seemingly refused, as per Variety. As a replacement, the house hired a new bunch of crew. However, soon after they realised, they walked off the set and joined the picket line. The sources suggest that after a successful retaliation, Breathe decided to make a deal including the health and pension benefits for Smith's music video production. Following the deal, the 35-person union crew returned to work the same day. About Will Smith's album Will Smith is making music videos for his album 'Based on a True Story,' which was released on March 28, 2025. Smith has collaborated with his son, Jaden Smith , Big Sean , Russ, and Joyner Lucas on the album. According to the Deadline, which first reported the news, the representatives of Quixote Studios in West Hollywood, where the shoot happened, did not comment upon the situation as they 'are not involved in the production, we're just renting out the space.' After the matter reached to social media when the picket line was formed, a user stated, 'Way worse than a slap,' referring to the infamous action between Smith and Chris Rock during the Oscars. While another said, 'Will Smith is a clown.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Will Smith slammed over shocking treatment of crew on new music video
Will Smith is getting blasted on social media and facing a picket as he is shooting a non-union music video in Los Angeles. The 56-year-old entertainer - whose most recent album flopped - is facing a protest by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees at Quixote Studios in West Hollywood on Friday according to The Hollywood Reporter. Business manager of IATSE Local 80 Dejon Ellis said that the union had asked producers to recognize the union and pay for pension and health benefits on Thursday but the producers had refused. Will - who has courted controversy in recent years - showed up to the shoot in the morning as IATSE were setting up the picket line. The A-lister was blasted on The THR X (formally Twitter) post about the story as one referenced his infamous slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars as they wrote: 'Way worse than the slap.' 'Will Smith is a clown,' one said while another posted: 'Will Smith is a #SCAB.' Will Smith (pictured in Saudi Arabia back in November 2023) is getting blasted on social media and facing a picket as he is shooting a non-union music video in Los Angeles Another questioned if he would be able to continue with his acting union The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) after the move. One commented: 'Can't he be kicked out of SAG for using non-union work?' The social media user is calling into question whether or not Will is breaking SAG-AFTRA's Global Rule One. It states: ' No member shall render any services or make an agreement to perform services for any employer who has not executed a basic minimum agreement with the union, which is in full force and effect, in any jurisdiction in which there is a SAG-AFTRA national collective bargaining agreement in place. This provision applies worldwide.' Regardless, according to IATSE Local 80 business manager Ellis about 20 crew members were fired on Thursday after the union had requested recognition. Meanwhile, the president of the production company Breathe Entertainment Stephen Trivieri said in an email to THR that it was 10 crew members and that they decided not to show up Friday at the insistence of the union. Ellis retorted by denying that the union had pulled those crewmembers and reiterated that it was the production company who told them not to come in. He said: 'Firing the crew is what picked this up a notch. That was not cool.' Will (who is seen with wife Jada Pinkett Smith in March 2022) showed up to the shoot in the morning as IATSE were setting up the picket line Trivieri stood firm as he said it was made clear at the outset that it would be a non-union shoot as he said: 'While this music video features a globally recognized artist, it was independently financed and produced outside the scope of major studio or label backing. 'Like many artist-driven creative projects, this shoot was built around a clear non-union structure with transparent terms and fair compensation across all departments.' This comes three years after Will famously slapped comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards in March 2022. Rock was presenting the Oscar for Best Documentary during the event at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood when he joked about Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. He compared her to the shaved head look of Demi Moore in the 1997 movie G.I. Jane. Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia and did not laugh at the joke. Smith then approached the stage and slapped Rock hard across the face with his right hand. 'Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me,' Rock said from the stage after being hit. Smith returned to his seat next to his wife after the outburst and yelled at the comic. 'Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth!,' Smith twice shouted at a shocked Rock. Smith later won the Oscar for Best Actor for his work in King Richard after the incident. 'I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I'm not crying for winning an award. It's not about winning an award for me. It's about being able to shine a light on all of the people,' Smith said during his acceptance speech.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Union sues Tailgate N' Tallboys organizers over labor agreement
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) is taking action againstthe organizers of Tailgate N' Tallboys, alleging USA Concerts and Events breached a labor agreement and refused to hire local stagehands in multiple cities, the union has announced in a news release. USA Concerts and Events signed a collective bargaining agreement with Davenport, Iowa-based IATSE Local 85 in 2023. From rigging and forklift operation to spotlighting and camera work, union members have ensured safe, efficient, and professional execution of the event's technical needs. Similarly, Local 193 of central Illinois has covered the festival's operations for nearly a decade, the release says. 'Our Local has safely and flawlessly serviced the Tailgate N' Tallboys Festival in Clinton since itsinception,' said IATSE Local 85 Business Agent Joe Goodall. 'This event is a vital source of income for many area workers and their families. It's deeply disappointing that the organizers are forcing us to pursue legal action simply to ensure fair treatment for the local workers that have helped make this festival possible.' 'After almost ten years of IATSE Local 193 members serving as the dedicated workforce for Tailgate N' Tallboys, organizers want to abandon the workers and community that made it into the large and successful event it is today in favor of an out-of-state labor company. It's extremely disheartening,' said IATSE Local 193 Business Agent Michael Irvin. In the release, USA Concerts' decision to bypass union crews in favor of an out-of-state, non-union labor provider not only undermines standards for live event workers in the Midwest but also attempts to violate an established Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The contract contains a clear Evergreen clause, which automatically renews the deal unless terminated by written notice, but no such notice was given. The situation is further aggravated by the festival's actions in Bloomington, Illinois, where Tailgate N' Tallboys also refused to hire area IATSE workers from Local 193. This pattern of bypassing local union labor undermines prevailing wage standards and deprives professionals of vital work in their own communities, according to the release. The Locals involved, with support from International union, are pursuing legal remedies and have issued a formal notice to USA Concerts, reinforcing their contractual obligations. The IATSE continues to call on the organizers of Tailgate N' Tallboys to honor their signed agreement and support the local communities they operate in by hiring qualified, area union labor. Our Quad Cities News has reached out to Clinton Parks & Recreation, USA Concerts & Events, and Clinton Mayor Scott Maddasion, and has not received a response as of 5 p.m. Thursday., International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE (full name: International Alliance ofTheatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada), is a labor union representing over 170,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live events, motion picture and television production, broadcast, and trade shows in the United States and Canada. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
