U.S. actors are looking for a union deal with studio as the strike deadline is looming. As the U.S. actors’ union nears its deadline to negotiate a new union deal with Hollywood studios, A-list actors have made clear that they are very willing to join Hollywood’s writers on the picket line and will be supporting the union.
Fran Drescher, the Sag-Aftra president, struck an optimistic note in a video to members released last week, saying negotiations with the studios were “extremely productive”. Stakes are high for both the parties involved, particularly in the wake of a strident letter signed by more than 1000 actors which has grown from 300 in less than a day, including some of Hollywood’s most prominent actors, urging their union leaders to fight for a strong deal with the studio, rather than compromise too soon. This has definitely changed up the talk vibe from “rosy” to “complicated,” as per a source.
Signed by the likes of Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Amy Schumer and more, the letter says that they’re “prepared to strike” if the guild doesn’t “get all the way there” in its talks with studios and streamers.
In that context, an extension can be viewed as a positive thing for the time being, regardless of the end game, insiders tell us.
These A-lister Hollywood actors lend their names to demand a strong deal as writers’ strike enters third month amid concerns over AI.
The actors’ current contract with studios expires at midnight on 30 June.
Deadline reported on Thursday that Sag could potentially agree to extend the contract deadline, giving the union more time to negotiate a deal with studios before striking, even as Hollywood screenwriters, who have been on strike since early May, are preparing to enter the third month of picketing with no deal in sight.
Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Quinta Brunson, Ben Stiller, Neil Patrick Harris and other celebrities signed the letter telling their leadership, “This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry, and what might be considered a good deal in any other years is simply not enough,” Rolling Stone reported.
One of the key concerns the actors highlighted in the letter to their union leaders this week was how their work may be changed by artificial intelligence technologies, an issue that has also become central to the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike.
“We think it is absolutely vital that this negotiation protects not just our likenesses, but makes sure we are well compensated when any of our work is used to train AI,” the actors wrote to union leaders, according to Rolling Stone.
In early June, nearly 98% of Sag members voted to authorize a strike if needed, a sign of the ongoing tensions between talent and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers as Hollywood’s business model has shifted increasingly towards digital and streaming models.
