Will the actors join the ranks of writers who have been on strike in Hollywood for the past two months? Tension was still high on Friday, hours before the deadline for negotiations and a possible double social movement that would freeze almost all American productions.
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The contract for the 160,000 actors represented by the SAG-AFTRA union expires at midnight Los Angeles time (3 a.m. Saturday).
In the absence of an agreement with the employers of the major studios and streaming platforms, the actors could immediately go on strike. But rumors about a possible extension of the duration of the negotiations have been piling up in recent days.
“Maybe we’ll go on strike. I hope not, but if we do, it’s for good reason,” Jorome Melendez, a 59-year-old actor who was among a few dozen comedians who flocked to Warner Bros. studios Friday morning, told AFP to show their support for the screenwriters who have been on strike since early May.
Like industry quills, stakeholders are demanding better compensation to fight inflation and guarantees in the face of potential upheaval related to the use of artificial intelligence, such as voice cloning.
In particular, they protest against the streaming-induced reduction in their “residual compensation” for each repetition of a film or series. Consequently, in the case of a television passage, because according to the advertising model, these remunerations are significantly lower for the platforms that do not communicate their ratings.
“The residual income is our livelihood between projects,” said Shon Lange, an actor who has had minor roles on shows like The Terminal List. They “put food on the table and help send my child to school. So it’s very important.
A dual social movement bringing actors and screenwriters together would be a first in Hollywood since the 1960s and could bring the industry to its knees.
Actors can not only freeze productions based on scripts that were already completed before May, but also the promotions for blockbusters due to be released this summer – Barbie, Oppenheimer, Gran Turismo, etc. Even the Emmy Awards, equivalent to the television Oscars, in September.
This week hundreds of famous actors including Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence signed a letter insisting they must go on strike unless their union reaches a “transformative agreement”. According to this document, the American film industry is at an “unprecedented turning point”.
“We need to modernize our contracts in light of new technology,” Kim Donovan told AFP.
The 52-year-old actress is worried about the potential impact of artificial intelligence and hopes celebrities will really get involved should a strike go ahead. “They have the strongest voices, we need their support.”