Hollywood studios and writers seemed like they were as close as they ever were to a deal that might end the actors strike, but talks have broken down again.
Studios Walk Away From Actors Bargaining Table
SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, released a statement late Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, saying that the movie studios had walked away from the table.
“It is with profound disappointment that we report the industry CEOs have walked away from the bargaining table after refusing to counter our latest offer,” the union says in a new statement. “We have negotiated with them in food faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began.”
Major Sticking Points
The actors union and the studios continue to pick apart language on a few major concerns for both parties. Here are some major sticking points that need to be worked out.
Streaming Revenue Sharing
One of the major snags is streaming revenue, which the studios have been trying to keep all their own.
SAG-AFTRA’s streaming revenue proposal would cost the studios 57 cents per subscriber each year. Even as many studios are increasing the prices of their subscription plans, they have rejected the guild’s proposal.
AI Likeness
Another point that has increasingly become a provocative impasse is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) pertaining to an actor’s likeness.
The studios have refused to protect actors from being replaced by AI and demand use of a performer’s digital likeness for an entire cinematic universe or franchise.
It was just three weeks ago that the heads of the major studios, including Bob Iger of Disney, David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery, Donna Langley of NBCUniversal, and Ted Sarandos of Netflix, gathered in Sherman Oaks to hammer out the details on a new accord that would end the picket lines.
On the other end of the bargaining table are representatives of the major unions including the Writers Guild of America.
The strike, which has crippled moviemaking in Hollywood and ground major productions in Atlanta to a halt, has been going on for more than four months.
Final Scene
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