Amid the ongoing Hollywood strike that has brought many productions to a halt, the new ‘Paddington’ movie, titled ‘Paddington in Peru,’ starring Ben Whishaw, 42, is reportedly continuing its filming in the UK. This film, along with a few others, is proceeding despite the 171,500-strong actors’ and writers’ walkout.

According to The Independent, the production company behind ‘Paddington,’ Paris and London-based Studiocanal, is not a member of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which is the body in dispute with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union.

On the other hand, there is a new addition to the ‘Paddington’ cast, Rachel Zegler, 22, who chose to leave London after the strike was called and joined fellow actors on a SAG-AFTRA picket line in New York. This decision is partially motivated by concerns that studios might replace human actors with artificial intelligence (AI).

The UK’s entertainment industry is particularly affected by the strike because it has become a preferred location for streaming services and Hollywood studios to shoot high-end productions, thanks to Britain’s flexible and skilled technical workforce.

However, there are some exceptions to the strike. The SAG-AFTRA union is granting “waivers” to allow certain independent productions outside of the AMPTP’s influence to continue operating.

The situation has caused confusion among industry professionals, with some questioning whether they should continue working in support of the strike. While established actors might be able to endure the impact of the strike, numerous skilled freelancers in the UK have been sent home and are uncertain about when they can work again.

Among the British-based productions that have been halted due to the strike are Brad Pitt’s untitled F1 motor racing film for Apple+, Ryan Reynolds’ ‘Deadpool 3,’ Ariana Grande-starrer ‘Wicked,’ and Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice 2,’ all of which are currently on pause.