The Hollywood writers strike has taken the showbiz world by storm and made headlines. The writers are at the picket fighting for fair pay and stricter rules against the use of artificial intelligence. The strike has been going on for months now with several celebrities showing their support for the cause.
And now the SAG-AFTRA has joined in on the strike. This puts a complete lockdown in Hollywood. So, let’s take a closer look at what is happening. July will be seeing two big film releases namely ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’. And this strike can affect these films as well.
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What Does The SAG-AFTRA Strike Mean?
After 63 years, Hollywood has come to a standstill as the Hollywood actors union has joined the writers strike. The strike started on Thursday at midnight and picketing commenced on Friday. This means that all television actors with SAG will cease any work they are doing.
The implications of SAG-AFTRA joining the writers strike are huge. All television and film productions have been shut down. The list of implications is quite long. The SAG-AFTRA going on strike means a complete shutdown in Hollywood.
Members of SAG-AFTRA cannot attend premieres as well. They cannot do interviews for completed work, go to awards shows, or attend film festivals. They are even prohibited from posting about projects on their social media. Members cannot attend comic con either and promote or talk about past projects under SAG-AFTRA either.
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Why Did SAG-AFTRA Join The Strike?
The Writers Guild of America has been on strike for quite some months now. And now the President of SAG-AFTRA, Fran Drescher talked about why it was important for them to join in as well. “We are being victimized by a very greedy enterprise. At some point you have to say, ‘No, we’re not going to take this anymore,’” said Drescher in a press conference.
The main topics that SAG-AFTRA is fighting for are higher wages, increased residual payments, and stricter rules against the use of artificial intelligence. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, has said, “A strike is certainly not the outcome we hoped for as studios cannot operate without the performers that bring our TV shows and films to life.”
They further added, “The Union has regrettably chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry.” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator, says they need to think again if they call this a historic deal. The dual strike has shut down Hollywood and the future is very uncertain at this point.
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