1It’s a tough time in Hollywood right now as the WGA writers face down their third month on strike after a month of failed negotiations in April. Now, the SAG actors are gearing up for their own strike, as the double force would have the potential to turn Hollywood upside down.
In an effort to forestall the SAG negotiations, executives from Disney, Warner Bros., Netflix, and Apple met earlier this week to suggest ideas on how to try to broker a deal as tensions have started to rise and progress has frozen. It was a bit of a shocking move, considering there’s still been no effort made with the writers, although both unions share similar demands. Both unions are focusing on increased pay, increased streaming residuals, and keeping AI out of the industry, even as it starts to invade.
Now however, it’s become clear that the studios have absolutely no intention of meeting with the writers until the end of the year–in the hopes that by then, they’ll be more than ready to agree to studio offerings. According to Deadline, the rumors around twinkle town are that talks between the WGA and the studios won’t resume until late October, a deliberate choice.
Citing an unnamed studio executive, Deadline states that “the endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” while another called the strategy a “cruel but necessary evil.” The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is concerned that giving into the WGA demands without making an example of them would cause every other industry union forcing a strike as leverage when their own contract cycles come around.
This situation has been the biggest since the rise of streaming and the threat of AI, and it could set the stage for how to deal with both issues in the future. However, it’s clear that the studios and streamers, including Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, Paramount, and Apple, would rather continue to keep their pockets nice and warm while intentionally and literally freezing out writers.
Without writers, some productions have been able to continue working with scripts that were finalized pre-strike, but without any of the edits or rewrites often made during filming. Most networks will also shift to unscripted or reality style series to fill out the empty schedule, but there are ways for the AMPTP to continue working without writers even though many projects have been halted or delayed.
Without actors, however, everything else that hasn’t already been affected will be stopped completely, meaning that the AMPTP takes the SAG strike threat more seriously than the WGA who’s already been on strike for months. The DGA (directors’ guild) was able to come to an agreement with the AMPTP in late May, effectively dividing the major guilds.
Although disappointment at delayed releases and indefinitely canceled projects is high, hopefully both the WGA and SAG are able to stick to their guns and hold off for better working conditions. Now more than ever, the writers need support, especially when the attack from the studios has been made so clear.
Stay tuned for the latest updates from Inside the Magic!