Variety have a nice little update on the actors whose schedules are free in early 2008 and are available to fit in a pre-strike movie if a deal can be arranged.

If there’s a project that a studio wants to go with, there’s no doubt these guys are at the top of the list…

Johnny Depp (after SHANTARAM was delayed because of the strike).

Tom Cruise (just coming off VALKYRIE & a cameo in TROPIC THUNDER)

Tom Hanks (after ANGELS & DEMONS was a strike victim)

Brad Pitt (after he pulled out of STATE OF PLAY)

George Clooney (after he pulled out of WHITE JAZZ, though he will probably be busy until March because he is working on his directed comedy LEATHERHEADS).

But studio’s are likely to be frustrated. It’s not very often that people like Depp, Cruise and Hanks become available for work at the same time but movies that would quickly be put together as starring vehicles for them can’t because they can only go with scripts that have already been locked in and completed because of the WGA strike.

And of course, all of these actors have read all the scripts and know all the projects that are out there. So at this point, it seems there absent from other projects is something they are quite happy to do.

There’s little doubt the strike has played a part in Christian Bale joining the new TERMINATOR movie. With little work out there, it’s either sit on your ass, or go and do a project you might not usually take.

Of course it’s not really these guys who suffer. It’s those actors on the very lower end of the spectrum who become victims here the longer this drags on, because if they haven’t got work already then there aren’t too many projects that will need full out casting.

There’s only so many parts floating around.

And I will leave you on a worrying quote from the trade…

With both sides back at the barricades, many believe the writers strike won’t be resolved until March at the earliest.