More than 160,000 actors go on strike and join forces with screenwriters to rein in Hollywood

Following a formal strike announcement, the U.S. Interpreters’ Union joins the Writers Guild’s (WGA) strike since May, launching the first simultaneous strike in 63 years that could cripple the Hollywood industry as a whole.

The US Actors Union formally announced a strike on Thursday after failed negotiations with the Hollywood studios to sign a new collective bargaining agreement.

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), which represents some 160,000 performers from big stars to extras, said early Thursday that negotiations with the studios have not resolved their contract claims.

The negotiators recommended a strike at the union’s national committee. After the confirmation, the actors joined hands with the writers, who had been pitching near studios like Disney and Netflix for eleven weeks. A double strike not seen since 1960.

“SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was prepared to reach an agreement that adequately met the needs of artists,” union president Fran Drescher said in a statement.

“However, the reactions of the AMPTP (which represents the studios) to the union’s key proposals were abusive and disrespectful to our tremendous contributions to this industry.”

consequences of artificial intelligence

Actors and screenwriters are seeking salary increases to cope with inflation and future protections for the use of artificial intelligence in film and television productions.

“Over the past decade, their pay has been seriously undermined by the rise of the streaming ecosystem. Moreover, artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to the creative professions,” said a statement from SAG-AFTRA after the negotiations fell through.

The Alliance of Film and Television Producers (AMPTP) said it was “disappointed” with the end of negotiations. “This is the (actors’) union’s decision, not ours,” the group said in a statement early Thursday morning.

Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC on Thursday that expectations for writers and actors “are not realistic,” calling the strike “deeply troubling.”

On the other side, voices express their dissatisfaction.

Suspended events and red carpets

Film and television actors have not gone on strike together since 1980, when they were inactive for more than three months.

Tinsel City braces for the shock of this new move that would bring it to its knees.

The writer freeze had already reduced the number of movies and shows in production in Hollywood, but without actors the industry will be forced to go on hiatus.

The stars will not be able to participate in the red carpets and promotions of their films.

In London, the premiere of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” was postponed for an hour so that the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon and Emily Blunt could participate without breaking union rules.

The Emmy Awards scheduled for September 18 could be postponed to November or even relegated to next year.

“Unwavering support and solidarity”

The last time Hollywood actors and screenwriters went on strike simultaneously was in 1960, when Ronald Reagan, actor and future president of the United States, led a campaign that eventually forced the studios to pull out.

The artists demand, in addition to the salary improvements, a fair calculation of the “residual” payments, which are made each time the platforms broadcast a production in which they participated.

But platforms like Netflix and Disney+ continue to keep stats under lock and key, offering the same rate for everything they stream in their catalogs, regardless of popularity.

Both actors and screenwriters also want to regulate the future use of artificial intelligence.

Unions representing industry executives and workers issued a statement on Wednesday to express their “unwavering support and solidarity” with the actors.