Steven Spielberg’s next film ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ looks likely to be delayed due to fears of a potential Screen Actors Guild strike. The film centres on eight Vietnam protesters accused of inciting a riot at the 1968 Democrat party convention. So far the cast include Sacha Baron Cohen playing campaigner Abbie Hoffman, with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Will Smith and Kevin Spacey all rumoured to be joining.
“It’s a de facto casualty of SAG,” an insider revealed to Deadline Hollywood Daily. “He’s still working on it with producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald and still keenly interested. But because of the uncertainty over a SAG strike, he has to push the date.”
The director, who intended to make Chicago 7 his next film, won’t name a new start date until the Screen Actors Guild and Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers agree on a new contract. The current contract expires on June 30th 2008.