Nicolas Cage has cancelled his appearance at Fantasia Film Festival following the SAG-AFTRA strike.

The Con Air actor was due to appear at the film extravaganza in Montreal, Canada on 22 July to receive the Cheval Noir career achievement award and to premiere his new movie Sympathy for the Devil, directed by Yuval Adler.

However, Fantasia organisers announced on their website over the weekend that the Renfield actor will no longer be in attendance.

“We’re sad to announce that due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Nicolas Cage will no longer be able to attend the festival next weekend,” they wrote in a statement. “We’ll be updating our website regularly as we receive news from other announced guests while circumstances evolve. Our hearts are with the actors, as well as with the WGA, and we hope to see the unions get a fair deal soon.”

Thousands of members of the SAG-AFTRA performers union went on strike on Thursday last week alongside the Writers Guild of America (WGA), marking the biggest shutdown of Hollywood since the acting and writing unions last went on strike together in 1960.

According to Variety, Judy Greer, the star of sci-fi thriller Aporia, will also not be attending the festival to support the movie’s premiere on 27 July.

Fantasia Film Festival runs between 20 July to 9 August.