Hollywood actors' union reaches tentative deal with studios to end strike
Sag-Aftra and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers set to reach agreement after historic work stoppage
Hollywood actors are set to end their nearly four-month strike, the Sag-Aftra union announced on Wednesday, bringing to a close a historic work stoppage that had brought the film and television industry to a standstill for months.
Sag-Aftra and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday, ending film and television actors' longest strike roughly a month after writers signed their new contract. The deal came after parties had resumed talks last week following stalled negotiations in early October.
The union said the 118-day strike would officially end at 12.01am on Thursday, and the deal would go to the union's national committee for approval on Friday, Variety reported.
The union said negotiators had reached a preliminary deal on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney, Netflix and other media companies.
The breakthrough means Hollywood can ramp up to full production for the first time since May, once union members vote to ratify the deal in the coming weeks.
The union had fought for increased base pay for residuals and guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence in film and television, concerns shared by writers who fought for similar protections in their contract.
Sag-Aftra began its strike in July with top stars heading to picket lines from Los Angeles to New York, and offering their support. George Clooney called it "an inflection point in our industry", and said change was necessary for the "industry to survive".
The resolution of the writers strike in September left Sag leaders feeling optimistic and talks with the studios resumed in early October for the first time since their work stoppage. Studios walked away from negotiations amid a dispute over the use of AI and streaming residuals, arguing the actors' demands were unreasonable, but came back to the negotiating table.
While the specifics of the agreement were not immediately released, local news outlets reported that the actors had scored important wins: gaining increased minimum pay, new compensation for shows that appear on streaming services, gains in health insurance, and new rules for the use of artificial intelligence technology to replicate actors' images and likenesses.
Sag-Aftra said the details of the deal would be made public after a meeting on Friday, where board members will review the contract.
In late-stage negotiations over the weekend, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos told union leadership: "We didn't just come toward you, we came all the way to you," Deadline reported.
The deals won by both the actors' and writers' unions this fall "represent a capitulation by Hollywood's biggest companies", the New York Times reported, and a stark reversal for the studio bosses who thought the unions would be "relatively compliant".
With the strike causing film and TV productions to grind to a halt, affecting the awards season and taking a financial and mental toll on working actors, the parties had faced growing pressure to come to a resolution.
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that she was "grateful" that the parties had reached a deal, since the strike had "impacted millions in Los Angeles and throughout the country". While those on the picket lines "have been the hardest hit", Bass said, "there have been ripple effects throughout our entire city".
Although the writers strike had immediate, visible effects for viewers, including the months-long suspension of late-night talk shows and Saturday Night Live, the impact of the actors' absence was not as immediately apparent. But viewers may continue to feel its ripple effects – delayed release dates and waits for new show seasons – for months or even years.
Now that a deal has been reached, actors could quickly return to movie sets where productions were paused, including Deadpool 3, Gladiator 2 and Wicked. Other movies and shows will restart shooting once returning writers finish scripts.
The end of the strike would also fully free actors to return to red carpets, talk shows and podcasts, as Hollywood's awards season approaches. The only major awards show directly effected by the strike was the Emmys, which was moved from September to January. Now, the usual fall Oscar campaigns will mobilize.
The end of the strike announcement came hours after Disney CEO Robert Iger and Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav reported their latest earning statements. Both executives said they hoped the strike would be resolved soon.
Disney's shares rose based on its report, which said its net income jumped 63% to $264m in the quarter that ended on 30 September, up from $162m a year earlier.
Warner Bros Discovery reported losses and saw its shares fall 19% Wednesday.
On an earnings call ahead of the deal announcement, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the studio's last offer to Sag-Aftra "met virtually all of the union's goals and includes the highest wage increase in 40 years".
Source: The Guardian
Sag-Aftra and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers set to reach agreement after historic work stoppage
Hollywood actors are set to end their nearly four-month strike, the Sag-Aftra union announced on Wednesday, bringing to a close a historic work stoppage that had brought the film and television industry to a standstill for months.
Sag-Aftra and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday, ending film and television actors' longest strike roughly a month after writers signed their new contract. The deal came after parties had resumed talks last week following stalled negotiations in early October.
The union said the 118-day strike would officially end at 12.01am on Thursday, and the deal would go to the union's national committee for approval on Friday, Variety reported.
The union said negotiators had reached a preliminary deal on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney, Netflix and other media companies.
The breakthrough means Hollywood can ramp up to full production for the first time since May, once union members vote to ratify the deal in the coming weeks.
The union had fought for increased base pay for residuals and guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence in film and television, concerns shared by writers who fought for similar protections in their contract.
Sag-Aftra began its strike in July with top stars heading to picket lines from Los Angeles to New York, and offering their support. George Clooney called it "an inflection point in our industry", and said change was necessary for the "industry to survive".
The resolution of the writers strike in September left Sag leaders feeling optimistic and talks with the studios resumed in early October for the first time since their work stoppage. Studios walked away from negotiations amid a dispute over the use of AI and streaming residuals, arguing the actors' demands were unreasonable, but came back to the negotiating table.
While the specifics of the agreement were not immediately released, local news outlets reported that the actors had scored important wins: gaining increased minimum pay, new compensation for shows that appear on streaming services, gains in health insurance, and new rules for the use of artificial intelligence technology to replicate actors' images and likenesses.
Sag-Aftra said the details of the deal would be made public after a meeting on Friday, where board members will review the contract.
In late-stage negotiations over the weekend, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos told union leadership: "We didn't just come toward you, we came all the way to you," Deadline reported.
The deals won by both the actors' and writers' unions this fall "represent a capitulation by Hollywood's biggest companies", the New York Times reported, and a stark reversal for the studio bosses who thought the unions would be "relatively compliant".
With the strike causing film and TV productions to grind to a halt, affecting the awards season and taking a financial and mental toll on working actors, the parties had faced growing pressure to come to a resolution.
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that she was "grateful" that the parties had reached a deal, since the strike had "impacted millions in Los Angeles and throughout the country". While those on the picket lines "have been the hardest hit", Bass said, "there have been ripple effects throughout our entire city".
Although the writers strike had immediate, visible effects for viewers, including the months-long suspension of late-night talk shows and Saturday Night Live, the impact of the actors' absence was not as immediately apparent. But viewers may continue to feel its ripple effects – delayed release dates and waits for new show seasons – for months or even years.
Now that a deal has been reached, actors could quickly return to movie sets where productions were paused, including Deadpool 3, Gladiator 2 and Wicked. Other movies and shows will restart shooting once returning writers finish scripts.
The end of the strike would also fully free actors to return to red carpets, talk shows and podcasts, as Hollywood's awards season approaches. The only major awards show directly effected by the strike was the Emmys, which was moved from September to January. Now, the usual fall Oscar campaigns will mobilize.
The end of the strike announcement came hours after Disney CEO Robert Iger and Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav reported their latest earning statements. Both executives said they hoped the strike would be resolved soon.
Disney's shares rose based on its report, which said its net income jumped 63% to $264m in the quarter that ended on 30 September, up from $162m a year earlier.
Warner Bros Discovery reported losses and saw its shares fall 19% Wednesday.
On an earnings call ahead of the deal announcement, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the studio's last offer to Sag-Aftra "met virtually all of the union's goals and includes the highest wage increase in 40 years".
Source: The Guardian
