The powerful American Union of Actors and Actresses announced it would officially enter the strike at midnight on Thursday (06:00 Friday). A decision that completely cripples Hollywood, where the production of movies and series is already sluggish due to the screenwriters’ social movement.
“The National Council of SAG-AFTRA has voted unanimously for a strike order against studios and broadcasters,” announced the national executive director of the union, which represents 160,000 actors and actresses and other professionals.
The actors and actresses thus join the scriptwriters, who have already been on strike since early May.
>> Read again: Screenwriters in Hollywood begin their third week of strike
At half-mast in the streaming era, both trades are demanding increased wages. They want guarantees to prevent artificial intelligence (AI) from creating scripts, or cloning their voice and image.
>> Read More: Is artificial intelligence in cinema just science fiction?
A great uncertainty
“Platforms are not El Dorado for the industry. For example, screenwriters now only get packages. They write about twenty episodes… now only ten per season,” explains Gary Grenier, a Swiss director. Los Angeles and Geneva, Thursday on the RTS forum program.
And to add: “Unless you’re the megastar of a series or a movie, you’re not rolling in gold in Hollywood. (…) Everyone has to work as an Uber driver or a co-server.”
Gary Grenier, who produced with Zep in particular, believes the strike could be an “opportunity” for Europe to show what it is “capable of doing”.Life of J.C“
>> Check out Gary Grenier’s interview on the forum:
For the first time since 1960
This dual social movement, bringing together the faces and feathers of the film industry, is the first in Hollywood since the 1960s.
The actresses and actors going on strike is a blow to the bosses of studios and streaming platforms.
Since May, the only productions that have decided to shoot based on scripts already completed in the spring are unable to change them. This is especially true of the Amazon-funded “Lord of the Rings” prequel “The Rings of Power.” But without actors, shooting is no longer possible.
Emmys under threat
Only a handful of “talk shows” and reality TV programs can keep up.
Actors and actresses have the power to block advertising for blockbusters like “Oppenheimer” or “Gran Turismo” expected in theaters this summer. Without their presence on red carpets, the industry may have to postpone the Emmy Awards ceremony, the televised equivalent of the Oscars, scheduled for September 18.
>> Read More: “Heir” Leads to Emmy Awards Threatened by Strike
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