Terrence Howard Movie Shoot Hit With IATSE Strike (2025)

Crew members working on an upcoming Terrence Howard film called Cipher are on strike against the production as they attempt to secure a union contract.

Behind-the-scenes workers on the project, which is filming in and outside Louisville, Kentucky, began picketing on Wednesday after the production allegedly ignored a request to voluntarily recognize IATSE as the workers’ bargaining representative. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to several of Cipher’s producers for comment.

According to a union-side source, crew members sought a union contract in large part so their work on the production could contribute to the qualifying days required to access IATSE benefits. The source alleges that some production has continued since the strike broke out with a skeleton crew as the project seeks replacement workers to fill out what was once a roughly 35- to 40-person crew, depending on the day.

The picket line has formed in front of the location where production set up base camp and crew parking.

Written and directed by Tony Giglio (Doom: Annihilation), Cipher is covered by contracts for the performers’ union, SAG-AFTRA, and the Directors Guild of America. Both Howard and Joel David Moore (Avatar) are starring in the project, whose budget the union-side source says is around $3 million. Production began on May 12.

The film is slated for a potential tax credit of around $1 million through Kentucky’s entertainment incentive program, with filming set to take place in Adair, Fayette, Russell and Woodford counties.

This is the second high-profile strike from IATSE in less than a week, following a picket in front of a Will Smith music video on May 23 in Los Angeles. That strike resulted in an IATSE contract signed that same day.