Hollywood came to a virtual standstill on Thursday as the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the largest union of working actors in the industry, declared that it will be going on strike for the first time since 1986.
That strike only lasted 14 hours, with one predating it in 1980 lasting for three months. The actors and the writers have not gone on strike together since 1960.
Since the strike has become official, Deadpool 3 has shut down production and cast members in next week’s Oppenheimer have stopped promoting that film’s pending release.
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher gave an impassioned speech on Thursday preempting the strike, one sparked by concerns over fair compensation for all working actors and questions surrounding the future of streaming platforms (including residuals) and artificial intelligence.
“The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, A.I. This is a moment of history that is a moment of truth,” Drescher shared on Thursday. “If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines and big business, who cares more about Wall Street than you and your family.”
President of SAG-AFTRA Fran Drescher's speech against the AMPTP was fantastic. A historical day. pic.twitter.com/iTzQY7xxtB
— Todd Spence (@Todd_Spence) July 13, 2023
While no one knows how long this strike will last, the combination of SAG-AFTRA and the Writers’ Guild of America petitioning for change at the same time makes this a historic, and potentially lengthy, moment in Hollywood’s history.
Here’s a primer on why we’re here, how it will go and what’s next.
Why are the actors striking?
The actors have gone on strike after being unable to negotiate a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Productions before this week’s deadline.
PBS reporter Jeffrey Brown spelled out what is at stake for the 160,000 actors in the union pushing for a new contract with the studios.
Among the unresolved issues, demands for higher wages, an increase of residuals, as streaming services command more of the market, and new protections from the use of artificial intelligence.
Essentially, the actors want to make sure they are fairly compensated for their work and that A.I. technology doesn’t cut into the long-standing procedures that have marked the acting profession since the dawn of film and television.
According to SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland (above), concerns over A.I. affect both how much an actor could work and how their likeness is used in future productions.
That's from SAG chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, couldn't fit his name with the quote.
— Russ Fischer (@russfischer) July 13, 2023
How have the studios reacted to the strike?
Per PBS, the studios have placed the blame for the strike on the actors for allegedly leaving negotiations with “major concessions” on the table.
For its part, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, representing traditional studios such as Universal, Paramount, and Disney, along with newer tech giants like Apple, Netflix, and Amazon, blamed the union for walking away from major concessions, saying in a statement: “The union has regrettably chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger (above) faced some criticism for giving in an interview with CNBC on Thursday where he pushed against the strike and said the actors’ demands are “unrealistic.”
“It’s very disturbing to me. We’ve talked about disruptive forces on this business and all the challenges we’re facing, the recovery from COVID which is ongoing, it’s not completely back. This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption,” Iger said of the strike, per Variety. “I understand any labor organization’s desire to work on behalf of its members to get the most compensation and be compensated fairly based on the value that they deliver. We managed, as an industry, to negotiate a very good deal with the directors guild that reflects the value that the directors contribute to this great business. We wanted to do the same thing with the writers, and we’d like to do the same thing with the actors. There’s a level of expectation that they have, that is just not realistic. And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.”
What's going on with the writers' strike?
In May, the first major industry strike set in as the Writers’ Guild of America went on strike after their negotiations with the studios broke down.
That strike has been going on for more than two months now with no end in sight.
Our Caroline Darney broke down at the time what had sparked the strike (similar reasons to the actors’ strike) and what might happen as a result.
What happens during the strike?
Film and television productions will effectively shut down if they involve SAG-AFTRA members, which essentially covers most all actors working.
Publicity for any projects will also be put on hold, as that would encompass crossing the picket line in the effort.
Variety ran down a list of things that SAG-AFTRA members cannot engage with during the strike when it comes to projects they are associated with.
For example, an actor can still use social media for personal reasons, but they would be required to refrain from posting about an upcoming film or T.V. series. Any banned activities relate solely to acting in studio productions or the art of promoting said materials.
During the strike, SAG-AFTRA members cannot do the following 🧵
○ Tours
○ Personal appearances
○ Interviews
○ Conventions
○ Fan expos
○ Festivals
○ For your consideration events
○ Panels
○ Premieres/screenings
○ Award shows
○ Junkets
○ Podcast appearances
○ Social…— Variety (@Variety) July 13, 2023
● Background work
● Stand-in work
● Photo and/or body doubles
● Fittings, wardrobe tests, and makeup tests
● Rehearsals and camera tests
● Scanning
● Interviews and auditions (including via self-tape)https://t.co/NxNAMXPlAb— Variety (@Variety) July 13, 2023
You are undoubtedly going to see actors on the picket lines, protesting the halted negotiations and demanding for better conditions. Production on upcoming film and television shows will undoubtedly be halted except in rare circumstances.
The first major event that could be affected by the strike would be September’s Emmys ceremony, as attending that show could constitute as crossing party lines.
How will this end?
No one knows for sure. While it’s certainly possible the actors reach an amended contract with the studios before the writers, both sides will be out of reach in Hollywood until terms are met for their respective camps.
Solidarity could keep both sides from halting the strike until all demands are met for both unions.
Films and television projects will undoubtedly get delayed as productions halt across the industry, and studios will undoubtedly try to find ways to increase non-scripted content that is not affected by the union actors and writers in question.
Sports will largely be unaffected, too, as they have been immune to stoppage during the writers’ strike.
However, film and television are about to go one of the most dramatic moments in either medium’s history, as the actors and writers have walked away with no sign on the horizon of them returning without deals they feel are fitting for their respective memberships.
