It seems that the storm is far from calming down in Hollywood. On May 2, theWGA began a strikeafter weeks of negotiations with the main studios and streaming platforms, and soon a new group could join, putting a large number of productions within the audiovisual industry at risk.
Deadlinereports that SAG-AFTRA will soon begin negotiations to improve working conditions with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). As a result, the union has suggested to its members that they vote on whether to authorize a strike if negotiations do not go as expected, similar to what has happened with the WGA.
The current agreement between SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical and the AMPTP will come to an end on June 30, and negotiations are expected to begin on June 7 to reach an agreement before the end of the current stipulations.
Here’s what SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, who recently showed her support for the writer strike, said:
“We must get all our ducks in a row should the need present itself,. The prospect of a strike is not a first option, but a last resort. As my dad always says, ‘Better to have and not need than to need and not have!’”
She also spoke about the differences between their demands and the writers’ strike:
“I don’t think what’s very important to writers — and I’m a writer too in the WGA — is the kind of stuff that we’re going after. Although I’m very empathic for their needs to be honored, I feel like our conversation is going to be very different. And I feel very hopeful that maybe we won’t get to this point.”
Related:WGA Strike: Why George R.R. Martin Is Furious With Mini Rooms
The DGA Is Also Negotiating With the AMPTP
The writers' strike has not only opened up new possibilities for the SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical negotiations, but also for the directors' union.
Negotiations between the DGA and the AMPTP began on May 10, which set off the alarms for the industry after an agreement was not reached with the WGA and the writers' strike began. In this case, it seems that the negotiations have managed to advance calmly, and the studios and companies hope that a resolution with the DGA will help resolve the conflict with the WGA.
The main matter, for the three unions, seems to be regulations regarding streaming platforms, as most of the previous agreements existed since before companies like Netflix reached a great peak in popularity, or studios like Disney, Warner Bros. and Paramount. Pictures launched their own services.In other words, they do not contemplate the importance that streaming currently has within the industry.
Important franchises such as Marvel and DC have already paused projects because of the writers’ strike. And while others might be able to continue, likeThe Rings of Power,Deadpool 3which will begin shooting shortly, orHouse of the Dragon, they will have to go on without the writers on set, something that didn’t help productions in the past, withHeroesandLostbeing a clear example of that.
