2023-11-09 05:29:54
The actors’ union wants to publish the new contract with the studios on Friday.
There are signs of an end to the strike of acting stars in Hollywood: There is a “provisional agreement” with the studios, as the actors union SAG-AFTRA announced on Wednesday (local time). The almost 160,000 members went on strike in July to fight for better working conditions, pay and regulations regarding the use of artificial intelligence.
Now there is tentative agreement on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents studios and streaming companies such as Walt Disney and Netflix. The strike officially ends after 118 days at midnight (local time, 9 a.m. CET). The agreement must be ratified by union members in the coming weeks before it can take effect. SAG-AFTRA plans to announce further details after a board meeting on Friday.
It is the second major strike to hit the US film industry this year, after screenwriters stopped working in May. They accepted a new contract at the beginning of October. It was the first time in more than 60 years that writers and actors had struck at the same time.
If union members approve the agreement, the entire contract is expected to be made public on Friday. If the actors then return to work, it would end one of the longest and largest work stoppages in Hollywood history.
Industry paralyzed for almost four months
The strike shut down production across the industry for nearly four months and raised existential questions about the future of the entertainment industry. Numerous television and film productions were interrupted or canceled. Although many reality shows and some independent projects were able to continue production, major studios were forced to postpone numerous blockbusters, including “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” “Dune: Part Two” and “Gladiator 2” as well Hit series like “Euphoria” and “Stranger Things”.
The unions particularly demanded better compensation when films or series are streamed on platforms such as Netflix, Apple and Amazon. Another central topic was the use of AI. Writers were worried that studios would replace them with technology. Actors feared that their likeness would be digitized and simulated without compensation or consent.
At the beginning of October, writers in Hollywood put an end to their nearly five-month-long strike. With an overwhelming majority of 99 percent, the screenwriters accepted the new collective agreement with the major film studios. This also contains wage increases and regulations for the use of AI as well as higher subsidies for old age and health care. (APA)
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