Crew members in Kentucky have walked off the set of the low-budget film Cipher, starring Terrence Howard, in protest after the production declined to secure a union contract with IATSE.
Deadline understands that the production was recently put on notice, because crew felt they were “treated as less than” by being classified as independent contractors rather than employees. A majority of the crew expressed a desire to unionize, primarily in order to secure industry-standard pension & health benefits. They had until Wednesday to respond, but sources say they have been silent.
In response to the radio silence, crew went on strike Wednesday and have been picketing on location. It’s unclear whether any actors have crossed a picket line.
Production on Cipher, written and directed by Tony Giglio, began May 12.
The film, which has a budget of $3M, does have contracts with the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. Sources also tell Deadline that production is also receiving more than $1M in state tax credits from the Kentucky Entertainment Initiative, raising “red flags” about the refusal to grant a union contract to the crew.
It’s not entirely uncommon for low-budget productions to at least attempt to film without union contracts, especially on the below-the-line side of things (and the unions will often try to “flip” the production before it concludes). However, there is plenty of precedent for IATSE contracts on films of similar size and scope.
Per sources, both union and non-union crew members were in favor of an IATSE contract. Most of the initial crew has not returned to work since Wednesday at call time, though sources indicate that they believe the production may be attempting to continue with a replacement crew.
Cipher also stars Joel David Moore and Paula Patton. Plot details are not immediately available.
Deadline has reached out to the production company for comment, and this post will be updated if there’s a response.
