Hollywood Prepares for Upheaval as Hundreds of Actors Demand a SAG-AFTRA Strike

in Entertainment

Picketers outside Disney Studios

Credit: USA Today

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike is about to end its second full month of protests, but it may enter its third with some heavy backup.

The writers’ strike started in May of this year as the union contract came to an end without an agreed-upon result. Writers are demanding higher pay, including streaming residuals, and the outright refusal of using artificial intelligence in the writing industry. The studios wouldn’t agree to those demands, with many stuck on not wanting to pay residuals.

Writers picket a studio WGA strike
Credit: Variety

As more and more content turns to streaming, writers and actors often see little to no residual pay, compared to what they were receiving before streaming took over the industry. In retaliation, companies like Disney, Hulu, and Paramount have started to completely remove content from their streaming platforms, making it impossible to find series like Willow, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, or any other direct-to-streaming content.

Willow
Credit: Lucasfilm

The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) started contract negotiations of their own at the beginning of June, alongside the Directors Guild (DGA). While the DGA came to a quick and quiet agreement, SAG has continued to fight and voted early on to approve a strike if it came to that.

sag-aftra strike authorization approved graphic
Credit: SAG-AFTRA

Now, as the end of the month nears, Rolling Stone has reported that over 300 actors have signed a letter directed to the SAG-AFTRA Leadership and Negotiating Committee stating that the “members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not,” essentially stating that they’re not fully confident in the Committee’s ability to fight for an agreement that represents the demands of everyone.

Gloria Stiehm and Fran Drescher on strike WGA SAG-AFTRA
Credit: The Wrap

The strike threat from SAG echoes along the lines of the WGA, stating concerns about the use of AI and actor payouts in terms of AI-likeness and streaming residuals. Although SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher released a statement claiming that the negotiations have been productive, not everyone believes that the Leadership Committee is working for a full resolution of members’ demands.

(L-R) Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk boarding SHIELD Helicarrier in The Avengers (2012)
Credit: Marvel Studios

Included in the over 300 actors that signed the letter are Patton Oswalt  Jennifer Lawrence, Brendan Fraser, Mark Ruffalo, Elliot Page, Neil Patrick Harris, Maya Hawke, and hundreds more. The letter also states that the actors are prepared and willing to strike if a deal isn’t made rather “than compromise on these fundamental points.”

A photo of WGA strike in front of Fox studios, May 2023
Credit: Kristin Newman/Facebook

Between the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, it very well could mean the upheaval of Hollywood as we know it. At the very least, the combined efforts of the writers and the actors would throw a lot of leverage behind the fight and hopefully speed both unions towards better and quicker negotiations.

Stay tuned to Inside the Magic for the latest updates!

in Entertainment

Comments Off on Hollywood Prepares for Upheaval as Hundreds of Actors Demand a SAG-AFTRA Strike