The Hollywood actors strike enters a decisive stage, after announcing the resumption of negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Film and TV Producers (AMPTP). The union that represents the artists reported that tomorrow, Tuesday the 24th, the dialogue will restart with the companies, in search of a new pact that will end a conflict that has already lasted 102 days.
For now, it is unknown what proposals both parties will bring to the table to try to put an end to the issue. What is evident is that there is a lot of expectation about the possibility that the next few hours will be crucial to unlocking the measure of force that paralyzes a large part of the entertainment industry.
On its X (Twitter) account, SAG-AFTRA called on striking Hollywood actors to stay strong and isolated from any information that may become known unofficially. “Don’t believe anything you hear until it comes from us,” indicated through a statement.
According to the union, It has been the film and TV studios that have requested the resumption of talks. Something striking, considering that it was the companies that make up the AMPTP that left the negotiating table a couple of weeks ago.
Hollywood actors’ strike seeks resolution
In a prior statement, which was also published on Saturday, SAG-AFTRA reported that Tuesday’s negotiation would include the participation of “several executives from AMPTP member companies.” So far it is not known who the directors in question will be, but it is not ruled out that there will be new faces to try to decompress the conflict and find a resolution to the Hollywood actors’ strike.
It is important to mention that, in principle, the representatives of the film and TV studios were Bob Iger (Disney), David Zaslav (Warner Bros. Discovery), Donna Langley (NBC Universal) and Ted Sarandos (Netflix). On the part of the artists, it is a fact that they will be at the forefront Fran Drescher and Duncan Crabtree-Irelandpresident and chief negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, respectively.
The Hollywood actors’ strike turned 100 days last Saturday. While the union has shown strength from the start, some internal cracks have recently begun to reveal themselves. Especially since the AMPTP abandoned the negotiations, accusing the union of stalling the dialogue with an economically unsustainable demand.
In fact, last week it became known that several “top-level” actors—the big stars, that is—began to pressure SAG-AFTRA to close an agreement with the studios and end the strike that is paralyzing Hollywood. George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone and Ben Affleck, among others, presented a proposal to end the conflict. However, it would have been ruled out by the union.
The proposal of Clooney and other actors
As explained Variety, the artists’ initiative did not correctly address the union’s claim. What they proposed was to remove the cap on the annual membership fee paid to SAG-AFTRA and modify the residual scheme so that the actors who earn the least money get paid first. However, none of these points really corresponded to the proposal of a new contract with the film and TV studios.
A critical element of the Hollywood actors strike is the demand for a new fund for residuals corresponding to streaming productions. SAG-AFTRA wants $500 million annually and maintains it would cost companies just 57 cents per subscriber per year. From the AMPTP they say that the cost of the claim would, in reality, be $800 million annually, and that it would be unsustainable.
With the return to the negotiating table, this week could bring important news. We’ll see if the Hollywood actors’ strike comes to an end, or if the strike continues. If the second happens, the consequences could be noticed immediately. For now, everyone is looking at the calendar because, if the measure of force continues, it would be impossible to resume filming of films and series whose premiere had been scheduled for the first half of 2024.