'Oppenheimer' Cast Squeezes in London Premiere Red Carpet as Potential Actors Strike Looms

SAG-AFTRA is expected to announce their decision whether to go on strike Thursday afternoon

The cast of Oppenheimer hit the red carpet in London earlier than expected on Thursday, amid a potentially imminent actors' strike.

Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and more attended the U.K. premiere of Christopher Nolan's upcoming biopic at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, hours before SAG-AFTRA makes a decision about whether to strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

Downey, 58, wore a gray suit, while Blunt, 40, Murphy, 47, and Damon, 52, opted for mostly black attire, with Blunt's dress featuring dramatic cutouts and a silvery pattern.

Pugh, 27, rocked a billowing orange gown with a low-cut neckline and wide cutouts on the sides. Her shaved-head look also appeared to have grown out into a short blonde 'do.

Of the potential strike, Blunt told Deadline on the red carpet, "I hope everyone makes a fair deal and we are here to celebrate this movie. And if they call it, we’ll be leaving together as cast in unity with everyone … We will see what happens. Right now it’s the joy to be together."

Variety reported that the start time of the red carpet was pushed up an hour in the hopes of pulling off the event before any strike were to begin.

The film follows J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Murphy), the scientist who famously led the Manhattan Project — the effort to create an atomic bomb during World War II.

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Related: Why SAG President Fran Drescher Is Being Criticized for Italian Fashion Trip with Kim Kardashian as Strike Looms

Following the recent (and ongoing) Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which caused many TV and movie writers to leave the writers’ room and head to the picket lines, the Screen Actors Guild is pushing for a new contract with the AMPTP.

If they don’t reach a new agreement that meets their terms, many actors have already threatened to strike, which could delay countless movie and TV projects. This could be dire for the film industry as many projects have already paused production amid the writers’ strike.

SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the studios was set to expire June 30, but was later extended until July 7, Deadline previously reported.

However, after a recent negotiation held on Wednesday failed to produce a new agreement, CNN reported, a SAG strike appears to be imminent.

SAG-AFTRA's president Fran Drescher and national executive director & chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in an official letter addressed to members on Thursday morning that the group "called for a meeting with our National Board this morning to vote on a strike order."

Defining the AMPTP as "the entity that represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros Discovery," Drescher, 65, and Crabtree-Ireland alleged the group "remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that you told us are important to you."

"Though we’ve engaged in negotiations in good faith and remained eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addressed performer concerns, the AMPTP’s responses to our proposals have not been adequate," they wrote in the letter.

Crabtree-Ireland and the Nanny alum promised to update members "immediately after the National Board’s vote," adding that "information will be provided on how the strike impacts your ability to work. Details on picket times and locations will be provided as well."

"Our 90-year history is a testament to what can be achieved through our conviction and unity. For the future of our profession, we stand together," they concluded.

Related: Everything to Know About the Possible SAG Strike and How It Could Affect TV and Movies

On Tuesday, the union announced it had agreed to what it described as "the AMPTP’s last-minute request for federal mediation" with just hours to go before the deadline, though it alleged that the AMPTP had leaked its request for mediation to the press before it informed the union's leadership of that request.

"We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to engineer an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal," SAG said in a statement Tuesday.

SAG-AFTRA members previously voted 97.91% in favor of authorizing a strike on June 5 before it began negotiations with the AMPTP on June 7, though that vote did not immediately call for a strike.

“Together we lock elbows and in unity we build a new contract that honors our contributions in this remarkable industry, reflects the new digital and streaming business model and brings ALL our concerns for protections and benefits into the now!" Drescher said in a statement at the time.

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