SAG-AFTRA has been on strike for over 100 days. Although the screenwriters reached an agreement with the studios and ended the strike, the talks between the film studios and the actors went worse. At one point, all talks even broke off. Now there has been a first positive breakthrough.
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing more than 150,000 Hollywood actors, and AMPTP, the industry group representing major studios, have made significant progress in negotiating sessions in recent days, reaching a tentative agreement on key elements of a potential deal.
As the two sides continue talks to end the strike, there are still issues that remain unresolved. The use of artificial intelligence was a point of contention between writers and studios and required careful examination. Ultimately, erecting protective barriers around emerging technology that actors have decried as an “existential threat” to their livelihoods was one of the last items on the agenda during the negotiations. However, there appears to be some momentum towards an agreement that could help both sides resolve such issues. SAG-AFTRA told its members that it had “discussed all open proposals” with studios, including artificial intelligence.
Studios must resume production immediately if there is any hope of saving the winter half-season of television. If production doesn’t resume soon, the shortened TV seasons will be scrapped, meaning plans will remain empty until next year. This would mean that actors, film crews and much of the Hollywood industry would have to survive the holiday season without work.