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After an industry-wide shutdown lasting 118 days, it looks like it’s finally time to call “Action!” in Hollywood once again.

US actors’ union SAG-AFTRA has now agreed a “tentative deal” with Hollywood studio bosses, with picket locations now officially closed.

The announcement comes after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) agreed a deal in September following the separate 148-day writers strike.

There are a couple of steps that need to happen before the deal becomes official, with the national SAG-AFTRA board set to review the agreement before details are released and the guild’s full membership takes a vote.

However, when striking screenwriters reached their deal in September, writing work was allowed to resume before full ratification of the contract was complete.

As Hollywood looks set to get back to work, here’s what to expect.

Film and TV production

Ryan Reynolds promoting Deadpool 2. Pic: AP
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Production is likely to resume on Deadpool 3, starring Ryan Reynolds. Pic: AP

Production on films and TV shows is expected to start momentarily following the end of the strike. But while the deal means work can now resume, don’t expect a flurry of shows and films to come out straight away – after a delay of several months it will take time for the industry to get back to normal, and viewers may continue to feel the effects for months, if not years.

Much-anticipated films including Deadpool 3, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel will likely be among the first films that will resume production.

Work on season five of hit ’80s sci-fi series Stranger Things was also paused, and the cast of Wicked, which includes Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey, were days away from completing the film before the announcement.

L-R: Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley, Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield and Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair in Stranger Things. Pic: Tina Rowden/Netflix
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Stranger Things was among the hit shows put on hold during the strikes. Pic: Tina Rowden/Netflix

Production on upcoming seasons of other hit shows, including The Handmaid’s Tale and The Last Of Us, was also put on hold.

The resolution of the writers strike allowed script work to resume on shows such as Abbott Elementary, The White Lotus and Yellowjackets – and this head-start might help those productions get back on the air sooner once their stars are cleared to work.

Television moves faster than film – as one once filming ends on films there is still a lengthy editing and promotional process.

In recent weeks before the announcement of the resolution, more shows and films announced delays – Kevin Costner’s final episodes of Yellowstone won’t air until November 2024, and the next Mission: Impossible film has also been postponed.

Red carpet glam

(left to right) Emma Thomas, Jefferson Hall, Trond Fausa Aurvag, Ludwig Goransson, Kenneth Branagh, Rami Malek, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Cillian Murphy, Christopher Nolan, and Robert Downey Jr, attend the UK premiere of Oppenheimer, at the Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square in London. Picture date: Thursday July 13, 2023.
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Oppenheimer stars Rami Malek, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh and Cillian Murphy had to walk out of the UK premiere as the strike was announced

It wasn’t just work on production itself that was put on hold – members of SAG-AFTRA, which represents around 160,000 workers in the industry, were also barred from publicising any of their upcoming projects.

This means that for months, film and TV premieres have either been called off, or gone ahead without their stars, and you will have seen very few actors giving interviews about their acting work. Striking actors were even warned not to dress up as popular film or TV characters at Halloween.

The much-anticipated premiere of Christopher Nolan’s epic Oppenheimer was scheduled on 14 July, the day the actors strike was announced – forcing stars including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Matt Damon to walk off the red carpet.

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Sky News speaks to Oppenheimer stars shortly before strike announcement

Now, promo can go ahead as planned – so we’re expecting to see a flurry of red carpet announcements as studios rush to show off their stars once again.

The strike also affected international film festivals such as Venice and Toronto – and during the London Film Festival in October, director Martin Scorsese said he was “disappointed” that the stars of his latest film, Killers Of The Flower Moon, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, could not attend.

The end of the strike means festivals such as Sundance, Berlin and Cannes can go ahead as planned at the beginning of 2024.

Some projects were given exemptions, such as Michael Mann’s upcoming racing drama Ferrari, for which stars Adam Driver and Patrick Dempsey were able to attend the Venice Film Festival – and also allowed Dempsey to do an interview with People magazine when it named him its Sexiest Man Alive.

Does this affect the Oscars or other awards shows?

The Emmy Awards, which usually take place in September, were called off due to the strikes. A new date was set for 15 January, and it looks like the ceremony will now be able to go ahead on this date.

As most of the awards ceremonies take place between January and April, events including the big one, the Oscars, can now take place as planned without any changes.

What does the deal mean?

SAG-AFTRA actors during their ongoing strike, in Los Angeles (file pic)

SAG-AFTRA says the deal is worth more than a billion dollars and includes compensation increases, consent protections for use of artificial intelligence and actors’ likenesses, and a “streaming participation bonus”.

The Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers says the “tentative agreement represents a new paradigm”, and that studios are offering actors “the biggest contract-on-contract gains in the history of the union, including the largest increase in minimum wages in the last 40 years”.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s executive director and chief negotiator, says the gains have made the strike worthwhile.

What’s next?

Well… it might not all be over just yet. In fact, there could be another actors strike – this time by video game performers. Negotiations for this contract are ongoing, but a shutdown has been authorised.

Actors who work on video games range from voice performers to stunt performers, and like SAG-AFTRA members have expressed concerns about the use of AI in their industry.

Studios will also be negotiating with set workers and their guild, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, in 2024. IATSE members work on everything from set-building to lighting and creating effects, and so are crucial to film and television production. They have been severely impacted by the filming shutdown already, with some members joining the picket lines in the writers and actors strikes.

And other sectors of the industry have moved to unionise as the actors and writers strikes have played out. Some reality television workers are calling for a union, while visual effects artists who work on Marvel films voted to join IATSE.

So while Hollywood loves a happy ending, there could be a sequel to come.

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Davina McCall makes ‘enormous leap forward’ and is out of ICU after surgery to remove brain tumour

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Davina McCall makes 'enormous leap forward' and is out of ICU after surgery to remove brain tumour

Davina McCall has made an “enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours”, her partner has said on her Instagram.

In an update, her partner Michael Douglas, said: “Update folks. Thanks so much to all the well wishers. She really has made an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours. She is out of ICU She is ‘loving awareness’. Thank you xx Michael.”

The post also featured a bright pink text image, which said, “massive relief to see some light breaking through,” followed by four heart emojis.

“Thanks for all the good vibes coming in from all angles. Up and up,” it added.

Friends and fellow celebrities were quick to comment on the update, with actress Patsy Palmer writing, “sending healing,” Dame Kelly Holmes commenting “awesome news Michael” and Jools Oliver adding three heart emojis.

The 57-year-old television presenter had revealed in a video posted on Instagram earlier on Friday she had a benign brain tumour, a colloid cyst, which she described as “very rare”.

Speaking in the short video ahead of her operation, McCall had explained to her followers the benign tumour was around 14mm wide and “needed to come out, because if it grows it would be bad” .

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She said a surgeon would remove the cyst through the top of her head in a procedure called a craniotomy.

In her video post the former Big Brother host had said she was “in good spirits,” and would be in hospital “for around nine days” following the procedure.

According to the NHS, non-cancerous brain tumours are slow-growing and unlikely to spread, but are still serious and can be life-threatening.

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Davina McCall asked fans to ‘say a prayer’

McCall’s current partner, hairdresser Michael Douglas, is sharing updates from McCall’s account while she is recovering. This is his second update since her operation.

McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.

She’s gone on to present programmes across the networks, and currently presents ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad.

Last year, McCall was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.

Davina McCall  with her partner Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson after being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Pic: PA
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McCall was made an MBE last year, pictured with Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson. Pic: PA

In recent years, McCall has spoken regularly on women’s health and the effects of menopause in a bid to break taboos around the subject. Her 2022 book, Menopausing, won book of the year at the British Book Awards.

The same year, McCall fronted the Channel 4 documentary Davina McCall: Sex, Mind And The Menopause, and told the BBC that the perimenopausal symptoms caused her difficulties multi-tasking and she considered that she had a brain tumour or Alzheimer’s disease at the time.

Married twice, McCall has three children, two daughters and a son, with her second husband, presenter Matthew Robertson.

She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and they present a weekly lifestyle podcast together, Making The Cut.

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Ed Sheeran says his didn’t give Band Aid 40 permission to use his vocals

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Ed Sheeran says his didn't give Band Aid 40 permission to use his vocals

Ed Sheeran says Band Aid 40 organisers did not seek his approval to use his vocals in the new version of the charity hit Do They Know It’s Christmas?

The Shape Of You star said he would have “respectively declined” any permission, going on to share another post criticising foreign aid in Africa.

Undated handout photo issued by Band Aid of (left to right) Sting, Bono and Simon Le Bon during the recording of the first ever Band Aid single, Do They Know It's Christmas. A new 40th anniversary mix of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? will see the young and old voices of the charity single's artists come together to create an "ultimate" version. Issue date: Wednesday November 13, 2024. PA Photo. Do They Know It's Christmas? - 2024 Ultimate Mix will premiere on UK breakfast radio and streaming on November 25, the 40th anniversary of the recording of the original song, and will be released physically on the Band Aid Compilation on November 29 on CD and vinyl. The new version of the song will feature voices from three previous editions of the song, Band Aid (1984), Band Aid 20 (2004) and Band Aid 30 (2014), including Harry Styles, George Michael and Chris Martin, and will see young and old voices of the likes of Bono singing together. See PA story SHOWBIZ BandAid . Photo credit should read: Brian Aris/Band Aid/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
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Sting, Bono and Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon during the recording of the first Band Aid single in November 1984. Pic: Brian Aris/ Band Aid

The new version of the festive hit blends previous recordings to create an “ultimate” mix from Band Aid 1984 including the voices of George Michael, Sting and Boy George, alongside the likes of Harry Styles, Chris Martin and the Sugababes, who appeared on the Band Aid 20 and Band Aid 30 versions in 2004 and 2014.

Sheeran had previously sung on Band Aid 30 alongside One Direction, Sam Smith and Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

The 33-year-old singer wrote in an Instagram story: “My approval wasn’t sought on this new Band Aid 40 release and had I had the choice I would have respectfully declined the use of my vocals.

“A decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed, eloquently explained by @fuseodg. This is just my personal stance, I’m hoping it’s a forward-looking one. Love to all x.”

Sheeran referenced a post by Ghanaian-English singer, songwriter and rapper Fuse ODG, who worked with him on the track Boa Me.

Fuse ODG said that a decade earlier he “refused” to be part of the Band Aid 30 song as he feels that while the charity helps get “sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism, and investment”.

The rapper added: “By showcasing dehumanising imagery, these initiatives fuel pity rather than partnership, discouraging meaningful engagement.

“My mission has been to reclaim the narrative, empowering Africans to tell their own stories, redefine their identity, and position Africa as a thriving hub for investment and tourism.

“Today, the diaspora drives the largest flow of funds back into the continent, not Band Aid or foreign aid proving that Africa’s solutions and progress lies in its own hands.”

Sheeran has also worked with other African artists including Nigerian singers Fireboy DML and Burna Boy.

Pic: PA
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Sir Bob Geldof alongside the other artists involved in the original version of charity hit Do They Know It’s Christmas? Pic: PA

The original Band Aid single released in 1984 featured artists led by Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure to help charities working with starving children in Ethiopia. It sold a million copies in the first week alone.

For the new version, the singers will be backed by the Band Aid house band of Sir Paul McCartney, Sting, Duran Duran’s John Taylor, Phil Collins, Queen’s Roger Taylor, Supergrass’s Danny Goffey, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Ure, Gary Kemp and Justin Hawkins.

Premiering on 25 November, the song will be physically released too on 29 November, with a minimum of £5 donated to the Band Aid Trust when the single is sold on vinyl, a minimum of £1.50 donated when the single is sold on CD, and a minimum 50p donated when the single is digitally downloaded.

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Glastonbury Festival tickets sell out in 35 minutes

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Glastonbury Festival tickets sell out in 35 minutes

Standard Glastonbury Festival tickets for 2025 sold out in less than 40 minutes after organisers adopted a new booking system.

The new system saw Glastonbury hopefuls get “randomly assigned a place in a queue” instead of having to refresh the holding page once they went live.

Organisers said: “Thanks to everyone who bought one and sorry to those who missed out, on a morning when demand was much higher than supply. There will be a resale of any cancelled or returned tickets in spring 2025.”

Earlier in the week coach tickets sold out within half an hour for the famous festival in Somerset, which is set to take place between 25 and 29 June next year.

Tickets for the annual event at Worthy Farm sold quicker this year than last year when it took around an hour for all of them to go.

They cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee this year, up £18.50 from the price last year, and were sold exclusively through the See Tickets website.

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Ticket sale methods and prices for events have been a controversial topic this year, particularly due to Oasis fans’ experience trying to get tickets to their reunion shows in August.

Fans were left outraged after spending hours queueing for tickets only to find some had more than doubled in price from around £148 to £355.

The band’s long-awaited reunion has led to much speculation that Noel and Liam Gallagher will headline Glastonbury, but they denied this while their tickets were up for sale.

“Despite media speculation, Oasis will not be playing Glastonbury 2025 or any other festivals next year,” they said in a statement. “The only way to see the band perform will be on their Oasis Live ’25 World Tour.”

The headliners this summer on the iconic Pyramid Stage were Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay, who made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

The crowd at Coldplay's headline set at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA
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The crowd at Coldplay’s headline set at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA

2026 is likely to be a year off for Glastonbury, with the festival traditionally taking place four out of every five years, and the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land.

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