Title: Hollywood Faces Largest Shutdown in 40 Years as Screen Actors Guild Goes on Strike
Date: 13 July 2023
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) has initiated a strike, leading to the most significant shutdown in Hollywood in four decades. With demands for a fairer profit sharing model and improved working conditions, the union’s move brings immediate halt to work for approximately 160,000 performers in the industry.
Notable actors Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt walked out of the Oppenheimer movie premiere as the strike commenced, as confirmed by director Christopher Nolan. Additionally, the union aims to prevent the use of artificial intelligence and computer-generated faces and voices as replacements for human actors.
The SAG’s decision to strike follows failed negotiations with major studios, as announced on Wednesday by the union, officially known as the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Subsequently, the negotiating committee unanimously recommended the initiation of strike action.
In response, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing the studios, expressed disappointment, stating that studios cannot function without the talents that bring TV shows and films to life. The AMPTP added that the strike would result in financial hardships for countless individuals dependent on the industry.
SAG President Fran Drescher emphasized the significance of this strike for actors working in the industry, stating, “What’s happening to us is happening across all fields of labor when employers prioritize Wall Street and greed over the essential contributors who make the machine run. We have a problem.”
In a double blow to the industry, the Writers Guild of America has already been on strike since 2 May, demanding better pay and working conditions. Some writers have resorted to projects not covered by the guild’s contract with AMPTP.
This simultaneous strike action by both unions is the first of its kind since 1960, during Ronald Reagan’s tenure as President of SAG. The last actors’ strike occurred in 1980. Notably, the Directors Guild of America successfully negotiated a new contract in June and will not be participating in the strike.
The commencement of the strike will result in a majority of US film and TV productions coming to a standstill, further exacerbating the list of projects that have been either halted or delayed due to the ongoing writer’s strike. Furthermore, top Hollywood celebrities will be unable to attend events promoting new releases, potentially leading to the rescheduling or downsizing of events like the Emmys and the upcoming Comic-Con.
Expressing their solidarity, several prominent Hollywood stars, including Margot Robbie, Meryl Streep, and Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, have voiced their support for the strike.
As negotiations remain at an impasse, the future of the entertainment industry hangs in the balance, leaving audiences and industry professionals waiting anxiously for a resolution.