The Hollywood productions paused due to the writers strike
The impending Hollywood mega-strike has brought the production of many films and TV series to a standstill. Actors of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), a union representing some 160,000 members, are preparing for an industry-wide walkout which will put a pause to many major film and televison productions indefinitely.
SAG-AFTRA has demanded increased wages to offset inflation and fair compensation through residuals, which actors receive each time their films or shows are aired on television. Streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney+ withhold viewing figures and offer a uniform payment structure, which results in a lack of transparency and equitable compensation – a key concern for the union.
Furthermore, SAG-AFTRA aimed to address the emerging challenge of protecting actors’ digital likenesses in the face of advancing artificial intelligence technology. Actors have expressed worries about unauthorised usage and inadequate compensation for their digital images, to which the union sought adequate measures to safeguard their rights.
During a news conference on Thursday, SAG-AFTRA said that the impending walkout will include members of their 2020 TV and theatrical contract. This all follows a two-month action by American writers. Should the actors’ strike come to fruition, it will mark the first joint walkout for the first time since 1960.
Which productions are affected?
Some upcoming released may have immunity due to scripts already being completed and dates going ahead as planned, as Warner Bros Discovery recently boasted. However, planned projects that have yet to begin filming are likely to be delayed.
Upcoming releases due to hold promotional events and likely to be delayed include Disney’s Haunted Mansion, a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Agatha Christie mystery A Haunting In Venice, Tim Burton’s sequel to Beetlejuice, Deadpool 3, the film adaptation of the broadway classic Wicked, Wonder Woman 3, Ghostbusters 4, Mufasa: The Lion King and Avatar 3 and 4, and the sequel to Gladiator.
In terms of television productions, the projects likely to be disrupted include Chicago Med, Young Sheldon, NCIS, Family Guy and The Simpsons. Award shows will likely be affected too following the postponement of the Daytime Emmy awards and the Primetime Emmy awards, alongside many premieres and promotional events like the London premiere of Oppenheimer which was moved forward an hour to ensure its cast can attend. Many conventions held around beloved shows, including Comic Con in San Diego, have also been paused without any confirmed rescheduling dates.
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