Due to the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto has been forced to shoulder the burden of promoting the film alone.
Any interviews you see with Jaime Reyes actor Xolo Maridueña, Jenny Kord actress Bruna Marquezine, or anyone else from the cast were conducted before the strike commenced on July 14, 2023.
Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, the screenwriter for the film, is also prohibited from any promotional activities due to the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) strike.
Speaking to The Wrap, Soto lamented his current position but stressed that he sympathizes with the actor's fight.
"We all can agree that [the strikes] affect disproportionately to minorities,” Soto told the film trade. “At the same time, I have nothing [but] respect and support for my actors who are fighting the good fight, and our writer too. They’re fighting the good fight for better pay, for better treatment, so that the money is better distributed between the people [who] are creating this content."
"So I hope their sacrifice is not in vain. I hope everything concludes quickly because we want them to enjoy this moment," said Soto on his hopes that the strike can be resolved in time for his stars to be able to promote and share their experiences making the film. "I also want them to help me out a little bit.”
In the weeks leading up to Blue Beetle's release, Soto has been flying all over the globe for special advance screenings while also handling any new interview requests from the studio.
Do you plan on seeing Blue Beetle when the film hits theaters on August 18, 2023? Let us know in the comment section below.
Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.
Starring alongside Maridueña (“Cobra Kai”) are Adriana Barraza (“Rambo: Last Blood,” “Thor”), Damían Alcázar (“Narcos,” “Narcos: Mexico”), Elpidia Carrillo (“Mayans M.C.,” the “Predator” films), Bruna Marquezine (“Maldivas,” “God Save the King”), Raoul Max Trujillo (the “Sicario” films, “Mayans M.C.”), with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (“Monarch,” “Dead Man Walking”), and George Lopez (the “Rio and “Smurf” franchises). The film also stars Belissa Escobedo (“American Horror Stories,” “Hocus Pocus 2”) and Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”).
Soto (“Charm City Kings,” “The Farm”) directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (“Miss Bala”), based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.