PICTURED: EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT
The SAG-AFTRA acting union said on Twitter that it would be voted on Thursday morning (local time). For weeks, she and the association of TV and film studios AMPTP – he represents Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Disney, among others – had previously negotiated and also consulted an arbitrator.
A strike would be another hard blow to the entertainment industry in the US. Because since May 2nd, the screenwriters have already laid down their work.
The actors’ union had threatened to go on strike if no agreement was reached by midnight on Wednesday (11:59 p.m. in Los Angeles, 8:59 a.m. CEST). Among other things, the actors are demanding better remuneration and regulation of the use of artificial intelligence in the industry.
budgets are falling
According to her, both creative industries – authors and actors – are suffering from the fact that more films and series are being produced, but budgets are falling and series are often shot with fewer episodes per season. In addition, unlike on television, repetitions with streaming providers would bring lower royalties for the creatives and they would be independent of the number of viewers.
The SAG-AFTRA trade union, chaired by actress Fran Drescher (“The Nanny”), has more than 160,000 members, including film and television actors, stunt performers, TV journalists and presenters. A strike would only affect actors and actresses for series and films. It would be binding for all of them, they would not be allowed to work in front of the camera.
97.9 percent for strike
Around 65,000 union members took part in a ballot on June 7, and 97.9 percent were in favor of a strike. In addition, stars such as Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Ben Stiller and Pedro Pascal publicly expressed their solidarity.
The scriptwriters’ strike is already having an impact on viewers, for example many late-night shows can no longer be broadcast as usual. According to estimates by US media, films and series could hardly be shot in the event of a double strike.
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: Nachrichten
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
