On July 14, 2023, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) went on strike. 118 days later, members of the negotiation committee voted to put an end to the strike.
In all of Hollywood history, this has been the longest actor strike against studios. This was also the first time actors and writers were on strike together since Ronald Reagan was head of the SAG during the 1960s.
In the contract with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) streaming companies are now required to disclose viewership statistics to those who worked on the project. Along with residual payments, workers will now be given streaming bonuses.
The deal also included historic wage increases. Performers will be given a 7% pay increase with background actors receiving an 11% increase. These wages will reportedly have a small increase throughout 2024 and 2025.
The main issue SAG wanted an answer to was protection against artificial intelligence (AI). According to SAG president Fran Drescher, AI would have been a main deal breaker in terms of the contract. AMPTP agreed that studios must receive consent from all actors (regardless of their roles) before a digital replica is created of the person.
While the strike brought one solution for AI it will not fix everything. “It’s going to be an ongoing discussion and potentially an ongoing battle,” Drescher said as she expressed her feelings on AI with NPR reporter Ailsa Chang. The rise of AI means fewer job opportunities for writers and actors.
Now that the strike has ended, all Hollywood employees can get back to work. Some of the movies now back in production include “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 2″, “Beetlejuice 2”, “Wicked”, and “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse”. Meanwhile, many films have pushed back release dates. “Dune: Part Two” had an original release date of Nov. 3, but has now been pushed back to March 15, 2024. “Challengers” starring Zendaya is now set to be released April 26, 2024, after originally having a release date of September 15.
Many streaming services, including Netflix, have already started to raise their subscription fees. Studios are expected to reduce the amount of production, meaning less work for all entertainment industry workers. Overall, the end of the SAG strike marks both successes and failures for not only Hollywood but the general public.
