Here’s all the celebs and big names attending TIFF despite the writer’s and actor’s strike

The Toronto International Film Festival will kick off September 7th on King Street, and every year the screaming fans line up to see huge names walk the red carpet and attend glittering movie premieres. It’s the summer event of the city, but with the ongoing writer’s and actor’s strike raging on in the United States, that has affected things up here in Canada, including TIFF.

With the worry that many of the big name celebs wouldn’t be able to attend the festival, interim agreements have been reached with SAG-AFTRA and WGA to allow some to attend to promote their indie films. With some Hollywood A-listers appearing in or directing independent films, that leaves the door open, and we now have a non-exhaustive list of attendees.

Deadline is reporting that Sean Penn, Dakota Johnson, Laura Linney, Maya Hawke, Viggo Mortensen, and Finn Wolfhard are definite yes’s, while on the “likely” list is Nicolas Cage, Jessica Chastain, and Peter Sarsgaard.

However, there is a “maybe” list and an “unlikely” list, which includes Kristen Scott Thomas, Kate Winslet, Michael Keaton, and Bobby Cannavale.

And unfortunately, there’s a definitive “no” list, despite promoting an indie film, and that includes Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, Anna Kendrick, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Annette Bening, Glen Powell, and Chris Pine.

Many directors will be in attendance, luckily, as there appears to be a loophole in the striking rules. Directors like Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklatter, and Taika Waititi are scheduled to walk the TIFF red carpet, but as you’ve already guessed, they’re also known for their acting or writing. They are allowed to attend in a director capacity however, since the director’s guild isn’t on strike. 

Joining them will be directors Craig Gillespie, David Yates, George C. Wolfe, John Carney, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Christos Nikou, Thea Sharrock, Kitty Green, and Ellen Kuras.

The films they’ll be promoting will be one’s to watch come Oscar season, as TIFF always sems to be a good predictor of big accolades. Those movies premiering at TIFF include “Daddio,” “The Dead Don’t Hurt,” “Wildcat,” “Hell of a Summer,” and “Memory.”

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to the 17th!