He world of film and television is in a unprecedented situation. “A real horror movie”, they say in Hollywoodwho lives his first simultaneous strike by actors and screenwriters in 63 years, after the failure of the negotiations between the union of actors (SAG-AFTRA) and the employer’s association. They demand salary improvements, a new distribution of profits for image rights after the ‘boom’ of streaming or the regulation of the use of Artificial Intelligence.
What the interpreters (close to 160,000) have joined the writers, something that It hadn’t happened since 1980has caused a historical paralysis in the “factory” of entertainment in the world, what will affect many popular movies and series what the public expects, and will cause havoc in the programming of the platforms of streaming.
Thus begins an unprecedented strike in Hollywood that could change history.
Fran Drescher is the leader of the Hollywood Actors Guild. In this speech, she explains that Hollywood actors join the screenwriters on strike. pic.twitter.com/vWaj2tD5zT
— SensaCine (@SensaCine) July 14, 2023
What movies will be affected?
Some of the blockbuster films that the strike has caught in the production or script phase are Ghostbusters 4, Mufasa: The Lion King y Avatar 3 y Avatar 4, according to data from the Internet Movie Database collected by the BBC. Also the paddington third installment Paddington in Peruwhich was scheduled to start at the end of July.
A fact that reflects the situation of uncertainty that reigns in Hollywood is that the number of permits to shoot feature films, series or reality television in Los Angeles, plummeted 64% last week in relation to the same period of the previous year, according to figures from FilmLA, given that they cannot guarantee the presence of the actors.
stars like Kevin Bacon, Glenn Close, David Duchovny, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lawrence, Mark Ruffalo, Meryl Streep, Rami Malek, Amy Schumer o Ben Stiller are among the 300 names that have signed a letter of support for the writers where they say they are prepared to strike.
On European screens, Hollywood productions that could be affected are the third installment of the superhero movie Deadpool (Marvel), starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, which was currently shooting for a May 2024 release, but its future is now uncertain.
In the same situation of stand by are the sequel to Beetlejuice of Tim Burton, the film version of the musical Wicked, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, which began shooting a few months ago, with a release scheduled for November 2024.
Another of the most anticipated and ‘struck’ films by the strike is the sequel to Gladiator, with Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington, which was in its last phase of shooting in Morocco and Malta.
On the other hand, the strike has delayed the production of the sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home (con Tom Holland y Zendaya), the reboot of Blade, the 90s superhero movie starring Wesley Snipes, and other action films like Thunderbolts from Marvel and The dead from Sony, both stops.
The strike has also made a dent in It ends with us, new romantic film starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, based on a book by popular novelist Colleen Hoover; Community: The Movie, the long-awaited film adaptation of the cult show; either Captain America: Brave New World: the latest blockbuster movie in the Marvel universe to be pushed back to July 2024.
What series will have to wait?
The recording of some of the most watched series, such as the fifth season of Stranger Thingsthe sixth and last of The Handmaid’s Tale, the fourth of Emily in Paris, the third of The White Lotus, and the second ones from Euphoria, The Last of Us, Yellowjackets or 1923 –prequel to Yellowstone-, which has been postponed indefinitely. Some had already stopped due to the writers’ strike, but the actors’ strike will aggravate the problem.
The second season of House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones on HBO, starring Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy, appeared to be safe until recently, as the scripts were already written, Warner Bros. Discovery said. But now, with the unemployment of actors, it is possible that the filming will be delayed.
The same thing happens to the second season of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power (Amazon) y The Sandman (Netflix), starring Tom Sturridge, as well as the fourth season of the series Slow Horses Gary Oldman.
Other series that were planning to start production this summer are the new seasons of Night Court , Chicago Med, Fire y P.D. on NBC; NCIS y young Sheldon in CBS; there Family Guy y The Simpsons (Fox).
According to the list that details TV Insider, Among the series affected are also the new ones Blade Runner 2099 -by Ridley Scott, based on the legendary science fiction film-, Daredevil: born again, Duster, –by JJ.Abrahms with Josh Halloway (Lost)-, A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight–one of the spinoffs of Game of Thrones-, Wonder man (Disney) or sequel to Pretty Little Liars: Summer School.
Also the last seasons of Billions, Outlander, Cobra Kai, Big Mouth, the seventh of Bunk’d, the fifth of Good Trouble, the quarters of The Mandalorian y Evil, the third of Abbot Elementary y Hacks, the second of Good Omens, Severance, The Old Man, Andor y Uncoupled, at 20 American Dad o at 12 o’clock American Horror Story.
What programs have had to stop?
Las American chains are facing the strike changing your strategy and expanding the recorded and “non-scripted” products in its autumn grills, reality shows like The Masked Singer, The Amazing Race, Survivor o Kitchen Nightmares.
but others live or recorded spaces with little notice will be affectedlike the long-running contest Jeopardy!, the legendary variety show Saturday Night Live; and late shows like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert o The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Los Newscasts will continue as normal because their writers are covered by a different union. The same happens with reality shows como Big Brother y The Bachelor.
Some ‘Emmy’ without actors?
The historic strike will also affect the awards ceremonies and major events in the film and TV industry, Like the Emmys (September 2023) or the Toronto, Telluride and Venice Film Festivals, that logically, they cannot be carried out or they will not be the same if the stars do not appear in them.
What will happen next?
The different unions and representatives of the American entertainment industry will have to meet again to negotiate an end to the strike.
The previous writers’ strike, in 2007-2008, lasted 100 daysand the longest strike on record, in 1988, 153.
In 1980, the last actors’ strike lasted 10 weeks. and had a cost to the industry of around 100 million dollarsas reported by the New York Times at the time, whose equivalent now would be 370 million, Explain BBC.
In the previous strike of actors and screenwriters, in 1960the writers stopped working for 21 weeksand the interpreters, six.
Industry experts believe that the current strike, which has already exceeded 70 days, could last at least three months. According to Variety, the negotiations will be even longer than the previous times, as the actors union is taking a tougher approach.
