SAG Strike: Potential Impact on Avatar and Gladiator Sequels as Actors Take Action.
The ongoing strike by Hollywood actors is expected to significantly impact significant film productions, including the highly anticipated sequels to Avatar and Gladiator.
The strike will affect the production process and disrupt promotional events such as red-carpet premieres, including the release of the Disney film Haunted Mansion later this month. Events like the Emmys and Comic-Con may also face rescheduling or scaling back due to the strike.
This strike is the most extensive shutdown the industry has experienced in over 60 years, with approximately 160,000 performers ceasing work in Los Angeles at midnight.
Picketing activities are scheduled to commence on Friday morning outside the headquarters of Netflix in California, followed by protests at Paramount, Warner Bros, and Disney.
The decision to strike came after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) initiated similar strike action, halting most US film and TV productions.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) demands a fairer profit distribution and improved working conditions from streaming giants. Additionally, they aim to safeguard actors from being replaced by digital replicas, including artificial intelligence (AI) and computer-generated faces and voices.
During the strike, actors are prohibited from participating in films or promoting previously made movies.
Other notable productions that may be affected by the strike include Deadpool 3, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice sequel, the film adaptation of the musical Wicked, HBO’s House of the Dragon TV series, Netflix’s The Sandman, and Fox’s Family Guy and The Simpsons.
In response, US networks are expanding their schedules with more “unscripted content,” such as The Masked Singer, The Amazing Race, Survivor, and Kitchen Nightmares, to fill the void left by the strike.
While the strike may raise concerns among UK cinema operators, Phil Clapp, the chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, believes that disruption to cinema-goers will be minimal. He remains optimistic that a swift resolution to the dispute will be reached, given the strong lineup of films set to be released in the coming weeks and months, including Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One, Barbie, and Oppenheimer.
During the premiere of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in London, actors Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt left as the strike was declared. Christopher Nolan supported the actors’ cause, jokingly mentioning their departure to write picket signs.
The strike poses significant challenges for films currently in production, making much work impossible. Even completed films may need help with reshoots and other essential elements of the filmmaking process due to the unavailability of actors.
Television shows still in production will also experience significant interruptions, although alternative arrangements may be made between performers and producers to allow work to continue in some instances.
Numerous actors, including Bob Odenkirk from Better Call Saul, Cynthia Nixon from Sex and the City, and Jamie Lee Curtis, voiced their support for the strike on Instagram.
Brian Cox from Succession mentioned that the strike could last until the end of the year. He noted that the power dynamics in TV dramas have shifted with the rise of streaming services, leading to changes in actors’ income streams, including the challenges of relying on residuals for private health insurance.
Residuals, which are payments actors receive from repeats of films and shows they’ve starred in, have become more complex due to the streaming era.
To address concerns regarding the use of AI, major studios proposed a “ground-breaking proposal” that would protect actors’ digital likenesses and require their consent for the benefit of digital replicas or alterations in performances. However, the union rejected this offer from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), deeming it unacceptable.
The AMPTP expressed disappointment over the strike, stating that studios cannot operate without the performers who bring their TV shows and films to life. They acknowledged the financial hardships the strike may cause thousands of people relying on the industry.
The union, officially known as the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), demands increased residuals and higher base pay for actors, including those in minor roles who earn significantly less than A-list performers.
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