As the Hollywood strike nears its 100th day, players pressure directors to meet. The studio’s rep, Carol Lombardini, met with the WGA on Friday to discuss resuming talks.
This meeting is the first evidence that the standoff between AMPTP and WGA, which has lasted since May, is ready to end.
Recently, the AMPTP has faced pressure to address labor issues. Actors on picket lines halt Hollywood movies. Artists and writers last collaborated in the 60s.
Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA president, opposes AMPTP. They publicly urged studio managers for better pay, working conditions, benefits, and AI standards in TV and movie productions. Residual payouts match TV, and the union wants streaming services to share viewership data.
SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, said the union is ready to talk again. Since July 12, when producers announced they weren’t prepared to speak, the AMPTP has remained silent. To end the strike, Crabtree-Ireland reached out to the AMPTP.
The AMPTP will work with unions for mutually beneficial agreements.
Increased pressure.
After the guild denounced Disney CEO Bob Iger, directors may have contacted writers.
Before renegotiating, studio chiefs may wait until writers lose homes. Studio officials complained about contract obligations, but the AMPTP doubted them.
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The WGA suggests that streaming shows should earn more from reruns. They want to reform TV show writer recruitment. Writers revise and add ideas during pre-production, production, and post-production. Workers want payment. The WGA is concerned about AI scriptwriting.
The lack of films and TV shows impacts Hollywood. Artists need help to promote their work, leading to shifting release dates and sales challenges.
The industry was recovering from the pandemic and struggling with streaming services when the job stoppage occurred.
The strike may worsen a shaky business, despite collaboration efforts by media corporations, authors, and artists.
The strike’s impact needs to be clarified and unclear. TV is losing ad revenue as streaming grows. Discussing ads may be challenging if the strike continues into the new year.
During earnings calls, Netflix, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Paramount Global discussed labor issues. The business observes the strike.