We’ve covered the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) strike quite a bit here at Inside the Magic. The writers’ strike started at the beginning of May and has been ongoing since as the union fails to come to a negotiation with major film studios.
Writers have asked for increased wages, increased streaming residuals, and a plan to keep artificial intelligence out of the industry, terms that the studios are apparently loathe to agree to. Now, Hollywood is about to be turned upside down as the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG-AFTRA) is about to come to their own strike.
The actors’ guild approved an authorization back in June as negotiations were just getting started for the union, which was calling for many of the same demands as the WGA. As negotiations failed to come to an agreement on June 30, they were extended to July 12, with many in the industry gearing up for a seemingly inevitable strike at midnight.
In an effort to prevent a double strike that could take down Hollywood as we know it, a group of studio CEOs came together Monday evening to discuss solutions. Disney CEO Bob Iger, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav, and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos were just a few of the players that came together to discuss efforts including using a federal mediator and reaching out directly to SAG-AFTRA leaders to offer assistance.
The request for a federal mediator would require negotiations to be re-extended, a situation that SAG is unlikely to approve. The guild represents over 160,000 members, many who recently signed a letter declaring their intentions if negotiations weren’t satisfactorily met, including Meryl Streep and Brendan Fraser.
The WGA strike has already halted and delayed dozens of productions, including several Marvel and DC projects. If SAG does end up on strike, it would essentially halt everything else that had been able to continue production through the writers’ strike. There’s been little progress made over the last couple of days, according to Variety, which means that a strike is likely to happen.
The guild has already briefed members and entertainment publicists on what a strike would entail and has called for volunteers for strike captains, with SAG members joining the WGA picketers to train and lend their support.
As yet another Hollywood union prepares to go on strike, prepare for a fall and winter full of unscripted reality shows and significant delays on long-awaited movies and shows.
Stay tuned for the latest updates from Inside the Magic!