Tens of thousands of Hollywood actors including Jennifer Lawrence are preparing to strike after last-ditch talks between their union and streaming giants broke down.
The Screen Actors Guild has been unable to agree a deal over issues around pay residuals and the use of artificial intelligence.
Union bosses, representing 160,000 actors and performers, agreed to one extension of talks with major studios on whether to join already striking screenwriters.
The strike by Sag-Aftra members was announced on Thursday evening. It will be the first time since 1960 that the actors and writers guilds picket simultaneously.
Screenwriters have been striking for several months outside the studios of streamers including Disney, Netflix and Paramount.
Fran Drescher, the star of The Nanny who is now the actors guild president, said: “The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us.
“Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal.”
The strike could also extend to the UK and other countries where members of the acting union are active on film sets.
It would prevent A-listers from promoting big releases.
US publication Variety reported the London premiere of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has been brought forward by an hour so that stars such as Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt and Matt Damon, as well as Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh could walk the red carpet before any walkout began.
The stars walked out of the premiere in ‘solidarity’ shortly before the strike action was announced.
The strike could rule them out of the movie’s US premiere in New York on Monday.
Other major film and TV events such as next week’s annual Comic-Con event in San Diego could also be scaled down.
Stars have already made it clear that they are willing to strike to support their colleagues.
Meryl Streep and The Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence urged the union not to settle for a mediocre deal in a letter last year.
