Striking actors reach provisional agreement with Hollywood studios to end strike

Actors union SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative deal with Hollywood studios to resolve the second of two strikes that have rocked the entertainment industry as workers demanded higher wages in the era of streaming television, the union said on Thursday. Wednesday.

The 118-day strike will officially end shortly after midnight, SAG-AFTRA said in a statement.

The group’s national board will consider the deal on Friday and the union said it would release more details after that meeting.

SAG-AFTRA members walked out in mid-July calling for an increase in minimum wages, a share of streaming service revenue and protection against replacement by “digital replicas” generated by artificial intelligence (AI).

The union said negotiators had reached a preliminary agreement on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney (DIS.N), Netflix (NFLX.O) and other streaming companies. media.

A representative for AMPTP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The 118-day strike will officially end shortly after midnight, SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. Ringo Chiu/ZUMA Press Wire / SplashNews.com

The breakthrough means Hollywood can reach full production for the first time since May, once union members vote to ratify the deal in the coming weeks.

“I feel relieved,” actress Fanny Grande said in an interview.

“It’s been really difficult for most people in the industry, especially people of color. As things stand, we don’t have that many opportunities. We’re not big celebrities who have money in the bank for months. “I really hope it’s a fair deal.”

The actors had concerns similar to those of film and television writers, who argued that compensation for working-class cast members had declined as streaming took hold, making it difficult to earn a living wage in cities like Los Angeles. and New York.

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Streaming television series did not offer the same residual payments that actors enjoyed during the heyday of broadcast television.

SAG-AFTRA members walked out in mid-July calling for an increase in minimum wages, a share of streaming service revenue and protection against being replaced by “digital replicas” generated by artificial intelligence (AI).Ringo Chiu /ZUMA Press Cable / SplashNews.com

Artists were also alarmed by recent advances in artificial intelligence, which they feared could lead studios to manipulate their portraits without permission or replace human actors with digital images.

George Clooney and other A-list stars expressed solidarity with lower-level actors and urged union leaders, including SAG-AFTRA president and “The Nanny” actor Fran Drescher, to reach a resolution.

Many televisions and movies closed when the Writers Guild of America (WGA) called a strike in the spring. While WGA members returned to writing scripts in late September, SAG-AFTRA’s ongoing work stoppage left many productions in the dark.

The outages cost California more than $6 billion in lost production, according to an estimate by the Milken Institute.

With little work available, many prop managers, costume designers, and other crew members struggled to make ends meet.

The union said negotiators had reached a preliminary agreement on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney (DIS.N), Netflix (NFLX.O) and other streaming companies. media.AFP via Getty Images

FilmLA, the group that approves filming permits, reported that scripted production during the week of October 29 had fallen 77% from the same period a year earlier.

The Hollywood strikes came during a year of other high-profile labor actions.

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The United Auto Workers recently ended six weeks of strikes at Detroit automakers.

Teachers, nurses and health care workers also left their jobs.

Work stoppages in Hollywood forced television networks to fill their fall lineups with reruns, game shows and reality shows.

The breakthrough means Hollywood can reach full production for the first time since May, once union members vote to ratify the deal in the coming weeks.REUTERS

It also led movie studios to delay big releases like “Dune: Part 2” because striking actors couldn’t promote them.

Other major films, including the latest installment in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise and Disney’s live-action remake of the animated classic “Snow White,” have been postponed until 2025.

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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