Strikes shut down Hollywood, but Knoxville TV production should be 'business as usual'

As the lights go out in Hollywood production studios amid strikes by actors' and writers' unions, Knoxville-based production studios, which focus primarily on reality and documentary TV series, should remain mostly unaffected.

On July 13, SAG-AFTRA, the union representing 160,000 television and film actors, voted to go on strike, joining thousands of screenwriters who went on strike in May. The groups shut down production in Hollywood over shared concerns for fair pay in the age of streaming and the rise of artificial intelligence.

Though the dual strikes are unlikely to affect films releasing this year, the pause already has been felt in the TV industry and on late night shows, several of which have aired reruns or halted production with no other options.

With no compromise in sight between major studios and artists as of July 14, how will the strikes affect Knoxville's growing production industry? Here's what we know.

Knoxville productions largely not under SAG contracts

Fans of reality TV and true crime docs made here in Knoxville can breathe a sigh of relief, since these genres are not produced under SAG contracts and are not written by screenwriters, if they're scripted at all.

"I don't think there's a production company in town that has shows that they're producing that are under any SAG contracts," said Knoxville Film Office Director Curt Willis. "It should be business as usual in K-Town."

Knoxville-based production company Jupiter Entertainment is the creator of true crime series "Who Killed Robert Wone?" and "In Pursuit with John Walsh." Knox News emailed and called Jupiter and did not hear back in time for publication.

Other local production companies, such as Big Slate Media, work mostly in commercial and corporate production and shouldn't be affected.

The first shutdown of Hollywood production since 1963 is likely to affect Knoxville's consumers more than its production companies, as shows like "Stranger Things" and "Saturday Night Live" face delays.

Film Fest Knox unlikely to be affected by strikes

The inaugural Film Fest Knox is scheduled for Nov. 10-12 at the Regal Riviera theater on Gay Street. It will fill the void left by the Knoxville Film Festival, which discontinued in 2022 after 19 years, and it aims to become one of the South's premier festivals.

While the strikes force red carpets to roll up and actors to halt promotion of their films, Willis said Film Fest Knox will be focused on producers, who he hopes will be attracted to the city as a filming location.

"We're a very film-friendly town," Willis said. "We have all the resources that somebody needs to shoot here."

The festival's move to the Regal Riviera, just down the street from the Regal Cinemas national headquarters at 101 E. Blount Ave., comes as AMC closed its last Knoxville location earlier this month. AMC is the only chain larger than Regal in the U.S.

Daniel Dassow is a reporting intern focusing on trending and business news. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Hollywood writer, SAG actor strikes affect Knoxville TV production