The Hollywood actors union said Monday that it was still not satisfied with the studios’ proposals. They sent her a text as a “final” offer to end the strike, which has paralyzed the production of American films and series for months.
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“There are several key points we still disagree on, including about artificial intelligence,” says SAG-AFTRA, which represents 160,000 actors, dancers, stuntmen and other professionals from the small and big screen.
Despite the end of the writers’ strike in September, several rounds of negotiations between actors and studios took place, narrowing the gap between the two parties without reaching any compromise.
On Saturday, the studios announced they would submit their “last, best and final” offer to the union. In other words, employers refused to make further concessions.
AFP
According to the trade magazine Variety, this proposal includes a significantly increased re-broadcast bonus for actors in series or films that are hits on streaming platforms, as well as a large increase in minimum salaries and protections to regulate the use of artificial intelligence.
But the legal jargon surrounding the AI issue is being scrutinized particularly closely by the union, which clearly still has differences with employers.
The actors who went on strike in mid-July fear that studios will use this technology to clone their voices and images for long-term reuse without compensation or consent.
“troubled water”
SAG-AFTRA said Monday it was “committed to getting the right deal and ending the strike responsibly.”
“We will keep you updated on developments,” the union added.
“We are at the negotiating table and working very hard to achieve this,” Netflix boss Ted Sarandos told AFP, assuring that an agreement seemed “very close”.
“But you know, these are complicated agreements and we are in difficult waters,” he added.
AFP
Pressure in Hollywood to find a way out of this social movement has increased in recent weeks as the strike costs the sector and the California economy billions of dollars.
Non-filmed actors are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, and studios are facing gaping holes in their release schedules for next year and beyond.
In recent weeks, the CEOs of Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. and Universal have directly engaged in talks to resolve the impasse.
After major productions have been postponed, such as the second part of the “Dune” saga or the “Stranger Things” series, the studios want to resume work as quickly as possible.
“Our goal is to get people back to work. “It’s a huge burden on everyone in this city,” Ted Sarandos continued. “We’re really trying to get things done.”
Hollywood has not experienced a simultaneous strike by writers and actors since 1960.