Actors to picket film studios as Hollywood strike enters first full week

Actors in Los Angeles will picket the studios of Disney, Amazon, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros on Monday as Hollywood’s biggest strike in more than 60 years enters its first full week.

Performers walked out on Friday morning after contract negotiations between actors’ union Sag-Aftra (Screen Actor’s Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down.

Approximately 160,000 actors are now on strike, joining the 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), who walked out on May 2.

It is the first time both unions have been on strike since 1960. The last time SAG members went on strike was in 1980, when the union was led by Ronald Reagan.

Actors in New York will picket the offices of HBO and Amazon, Warner Bros and Netflix, Paramount and NBC Universal on Monday.

Thelma And Louise star Susan Sarandon, Don’t Worry Darling director Olivia Wilde, Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis, Bullet Train’s Joey King, Booksmart star Kaitlyn Dever, Once Upon A Time actress Ginnifer Goodwin, This Is Us star Mandy Moore and Kids actress Rosario Dawson are among the stars who have been seen on picket lines.

Actors will not film new projects or promote their films at junkets, premieres, awards shows or conventions during the strike.

The premiere of new Disney film Haunted Mansion went ahead at Disneyland at the weekend, but without stars Owen Wilson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tiffany Haddish in attendance.

The cast of Christopher Nolan’s new movie Oppenheimer walked out of the London premiere last week as news of the impending strike broke and planned junkets for films including Barbie have also been affected.

Producers of independent films could be granted waivers to continue shooting despite the strike, as long as they are operating outside of the studio system.

The upcoming indie film Bride Hard, starring Rebel Wilson, has reportedly been granted permission to move ahead, with Deadline reporting that more exemptions will follow for projects with no connection to a studio or streaming service that are not affiliated with the AMPTP.

The contract between the union and the AMPTP, which represents the major film studios, TV networks and streaming giants, expired after negotiators failed to reach an agreement over a number of issues including pay and the use of AI (artificial intelligence).

The union said actors face an “existential threat to their livelihoods” with the rise of generative AI technology and the threat of unregulated use.

Chief negotiator for Sag-Aftra, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, said studios had asked for the ability to scan the faces of background artists for the payment of one day’s work, and then be able to own and use their likeness for any future projects without consent or compensation.

The issue is the main plot of a recent episode of Netflix series Black Mirror, in which Salma Hayek’s character discover her AI likeness could be used by a production company without her knowledge.

The issue of pay has also been a key part of negotiations as the advent of streaming has changed the way actors are compensated for their work.

While in the past they would make money from residuals, where they would be paid based on re-runs of their shows and films, streaming has severely dented this, with actors and writers saying their residuals have plummeted.

The union says members are striking for a fairer division of profits, but the AMPTP says negotiators chose to forego “the highest percentage increase in minimums in 35 years” in favour of going on strike.