Bella Thorne and Jack Kilmer were one of the few actors that were able to continue to work amid the Sag-Aftra actors strike. The artists star in The Tower, which is one of 102 projects to have been granted a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement. The fantastical drama from filmmaker Adam Sigal also stars Cam Gigandet and Chris Mullinax. On Tuesday, the director revealed on Instagram that they have wrapped the film.
The Tower began shooting shortly before the strike launched and was put on hold until the SAG waiver, per Deadline. Thorne plays “a mysterious mermaid” trapped and forgotten for years in the water tower of a small Southern town. Sigal said it’s his “attempt to interpret the isolation and wanderlust” he felt growing up in a small Southern town.
He shared a cast and crew photo on Instagram Tuesday sharing his excitement. “The last day of filming on The Tower, I was walking around the studio watching the crew work so hard, watching my actors run lines, and I was filled with so much gratitude. These people aren’t getting rich off my films (yet!), but they all worked so damn hard to help me bring my vision to life, and all I can say is I hope I can honor them by making this movie as great as possible, and they can be proud to have been on it,” he wrote in the caption.
There have been many opinions about SAG’s Interim Agreement allowing independent films to continue production. Aware of the situation at hand, Sigal noted, “It breaks my heart that there are so many actors, writers, and crews unable to work at the moment, and I realize how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to finish this film.”
The filmmaker also promised to do his part in the strike when the film wraps. “I am incredibly grateful to SAG for continuing to support independent film, and as soon as we wrap, the cast of The Tower and I will be out there on the picket lines beside our fellow actors and writers, fighting for what they deserve,” he continued, per Flickering Myth.