Hollywood Actors Set To Strike For The First Time Since 1980
The actors will be joining the writers on their current strike, which has no end date in sight at the moment. How will this affect Hollywood in the upcoming months?
Tensions continue to rise in Hollywood as the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), representing roughly 160,000 actors, prepares to join their fellow creative peers in the Writers Guild of America on strike. This looming labor disruption comes after unsuccessful negotiations between the unions and major film studios and streaming services.
Hollywood Actors Set to Strike for the First Time Since 1980
Hollywood hasn't witnessed an actors' strike since 1980. Despite earnest attempts at finding middle ground, the union confirmed the negotiations with the studio management failed to yield any tangible results. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher shared that the studios' offers were "insulting and disrespectful," effectively displaying a lack of good faith in the negotiation process.
The proposal to strike comes with resounding support from the union's members, with 98% favoring the decision. A formal announcement regarding the commencement of the strike is expected soon. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has expressed disappointment, emphasizing the resultant financial distress the industry faces. This actors' strike would exacerbate the ongoing disruptions caused by the writers' strike, potentially bringing Hollywood to a near-total halt. With the summer progressing, concerns are mounting that these labor disputes could extend to year-end.
Hollywood has undergone significant changes since the last actors' strike in 1980, with technological advancements fundamentally altering the industry's landscape. Streaming services and artificial intelligence (AI) have introduced new challenges and opportunities, and these modern issues are reportedly the crux of the stalemate in contract negotiations. David Mumpower, chief content officer of Mickeyblog, aptly encapsulated the situation: "This is a sea-change negotiation, and if they get it wrong now, they’re going to have it wrong for decades.”
The ongoing disputes come at a time when major media and tech companies, such as Amazon, Apple, CBS, Disney, NBC Universal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony, and Warner Bros. Discovery, are prioritizing cost-efficiency over subscriber growth. They are the entities negotiating with AMPTP, and most have been implementing cost cuts, including layoffs, due to drops in stock prices. Despite initial optimism from SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, a hardline stance was advocated by numerous high-profile actors, including Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Jennifer Lawrence, Bob Odenkirk, Mark Ruffalo, Quinta Brunson, and Rami Malek.
The core issues revolve around pay hikes, residuals from streaming services, and the increasing role of AI. According to Tom Nunan from UCLA, there's a consensus on the inevitable use of AI but uncertainty about how it will be incorporated. While AMPTP has assured that it proposed an "AI proposal that protects actors' digital likenesses", it's clear that the new age of streaming and AI has exacerbated the complexities of these negotiations. The outcome of these disputes will have a lasting impact, shaping Hollywood's evolving landscape and potentially setting new precedents for future negotiations.
The ongoing writers' strike has already halted the production of numerous US TV shows, causing delays and setbacks in projects such as The Last of Us, Blade Runner 2099, The Mandalorian, the sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Disney’s Blade remake. The actors' strike exacerbates this situation, leading to a standstill even for productions with completed scripts across the US, Europe, and beyond. Likely affected productions include House of the Dragon, Andor, Industry, Bad Sisters, and Doctor Who.
Studio film productions operating on long, intricate schedules are also bracing for the impacts. High-profile films still under production, like Gladiator 2 and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, face potential delays. Other productions such as Bad Boys 4, Beetlejuice 2, Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel, and Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power have reportedly finished shooting but could still face post-production and promotional challenges. The uncertainty extends to independent films that might be able to secure waivers from SAG-AFTRA, as the confusion over crossing picket lines threatens financial stability in an already unstable sector.
Furthermore, external activities and events related to filmmaking are likely to undergo changes or cancellations in the face of an actors’ strike. The Comic-Con event in San Diego, major international film festivals like Venice and Toronto, and promotional activities for late summer releases could all be significantly impacted. In the realm of televised awards shows, the writers’ strike has already postponed the Daytime Emmy awards and affected the MTV Movie Awards. The Primetime Emmy awards, scheduled for September, seem to be the next in line for delays. Unless the strike extends over a prolonged period, the Academy Awards scheduled for March 2024 should remain unaffected. The unfolding scenario paints a picture of uncertainty, as the industry grapples with the potential for widespread disruption.
When the news broke on Twitter, hundreds of people responded to make it clear that they couldn't care less about this development. In fact, it seems as though many people are fed up with the antics of Hollywood and would rather see them lay low for a while. After all the shows and movies seemed to have taken an extremely woke turn, many fans and viewers could use a break from all the forced political messages, even if that means there's a delay in movies in general.