Actors accuse studios of "bully tactics" as Hollywood strike talks pause
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Actor Adrian Dev attends the SAG-AFTRA picket lines at Warner Bros. Studios on Oct. 10, in Los Angeles. Photo: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Hollywood actors and major studios have suspended their contract talks, shattering hopes that a deal between the two groups will be struck soon.
Why it matters: Without a deal, it's unlikely that the production of most movies and TV shows will resume before the end of the year.
- That delay could have a ripple effect across the entire industry, calling into question the viability of spring award shows and 2024 movie releases.
- Many studios have already started to push films off the 2023 release calendar and delay other 2024 releases.
Details: In a statement Thursday morning, the union representing more than 160,000 striking actors accused Hollywood studios of using "bully tactics" in their negotiations.
- That statement from the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists followed a tense day of negotiations between the two groups, after nearly two weeks of talks.
- In its own statement Wednesday, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said talks were suspended, saying conversations were no longer moving in a "productive" direction. "It is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great," the statement said.
Catch up quick: Members of SAG-AFTRA voted to go on strike in mid-July for the first time since 1980.
- But studios were unable to engage meaningfully in bargaining discussions until early October after a months-long strike between Hollywood writers and studios was resolved.
Be smart: Actors are fighting for similar protections as their counterparts at the Writers Guild of America, including better residual payouts for streaming content and copyright protections for their work from artificial intelligence.
- The ratification of a contract between Hollywood writers and studios earlier this week brought some hope that the actors and studios would strike a deal soon.
- Onlookers were especially optimistic, given that the studios had already set some standards around issues such as residual pay and artificial intelligence in their negotiations with writers that they thought could be applied to negotiations with actors.
Zoom in: SAG-AFTRA says talks began to break down Wednesday after studio executives walked away from the bargaining table in response to the actors union's newest contract proposal pushing for a greater share of revenue from streaming projects.
- The studios argued that SAG-AFTRA's current proposal "would create an untenable economic burden."
- The actors union said the studios "intentionally misrepresented to the press" the cost of its proposed revenue-share agreement, "overstating it by 60%."
- The studios said that on "common issues," they "offered the same terms that were ratified by the DGA and WGA. Yet SAG-AFTRA rejected these."
Yes, but: It appears that some progress has been made on key issues, such as AI protections.
- In the studios' latest proposal Wednesday, they offered to require advance consent from performers and background actors to create and use digital replicas of their likeness, in addition to other protections.
What to watch: Without a deal, consumers can expect fewer new movies in theaters this spring, as well as fewer new shows on streaming services and TV networks.
- Actors will still be unable to promote any upcoming works, including appearing on red carpets.
