Killing It, Solar Opposites Cancel Just For Laughs Panels Due to Strike – The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood actors strike has updated plans by the stars of Peacock’s Killing It and Hulu’s animated Solar Opposites series to take part in US TV cast panels at the Just For Laughs comedy festival next week, organizers have confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

Saturday Night Live’s Please Don’t Destroy comedy trio of Ben Marshall, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy have canceled their own Just For Laughs panel to promote their first movie, produced by Judd Apatow, ahead of a Nov. 17 debuts on Peacock.

The Killing It panel taking place before a second season return on Aug. 17 was to include series stars Craig Robinson, Rell Battle and Claudia O’Doherty. And Thomas Middleditch and Solar Opposites Co-star Sean Giambrone had been booked prior to the SAG-AFTRA labor action to share sneak peeks clips and discuss the characters they voice on their animated show’s fourth season to debut on Hulu on Aug. 14.

The comedy festival in Montreal that revolutionized stand-up comedy by discovering top comics like Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle and Jimmy Fallon before they went to stellar film and TV careers has been one of the first marquee festivals impacted by the ongoing Hollywood strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.

The US TV and film cast panels became high-profile casualties for the Just For Laughs festival after strike rules for SAG-AFTRA’s 160,000 members were released to govern where they can perform and promote studio-tied films and TV series, and not appear.

As of Friday, Just For Laughs festival organizers said all other events will go ahead as planned for the 41st edition.

Comedians Ali Wong, Jonathan Van Ness, Anthony Jeselnik, Mae Martin, Russell Peters, Jack Whitehall, Marlon Wayans and Rainn Wilson are set to go ahead with appearances in Montreal, either with solo shows, hosting their own gala comedy showcases or picking up awards at the ComedyPRO conference.

This year’s Just For Laughs English language festival is set to run from July 14 to 29.