Disney CEO Bob Iger condemns writers strike: “It’s very disturbing”
After months of gridlock amid the writers strike, the actor’s guild has joined the writers against studios for proper compensation. As the writers air their grievances, Disney CEO Bob Iger has opened up about his feelings on the strike.
When speaking on SquawkBox, Iger found the strikes troubling, stating, “It’s very disturbing to me. We’ve talked about disruptive forces on this business and all the challenges we’re facing, the recovery from COVID, which is ongoing, it’s not completely back. This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption”.
After working out a deal with the director’s guild, Iger feels that the writers are being unrealistic with their request for compensation, saying, “There’s a level of expectation that they have, that is just not realistic. And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive”.
As the actors guild joins the writers on strike for compensation, Iger thinks that those on strike should keep an open mind about what to expect, explaining, “be realistic about the business environment, and what this business can deliver”.
Amid the various strikers, a good number of mainstream shows have either had to make do without writers or shut down production altogether. This has also led to many upcoming projects for Disney being put on hold for the indefinite future.
Outside his thoughts on the strike, Iger does admit that the system that distributes profits does have a fair bit of problems, going on to say, “When I came back, one of the things I discovered was that the disruptive forces that have been preying on that business for a while are greater than I thought. It’s eye-opening”.
Should the strike continue, Iger thinks that the industry will start to suffer, saying, “It will have a very, very damaging effect on the whole business, and unfortunately, there’s huge collateral damage in the industry to people who are supportive services”.
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