Hollywood Actors Strike Nears End: The actors’ strike hangs in the balance as the American Screen Actors Guild contemplates a “Last, Best & Final” offer from major film studios. However, the impasse persists over the use of AI.
According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the actors’ guild remains wary due to a clause in the offer that allows entertainment companies to reuse AI scans of actors without their consent, even posthumously.
Within the guild, actors have expressed skepticism about the wording of the proposal. Actor Elijah Wood responded to the notion of a “final” offer with the statement, “We’ll be the judge of that.”
SAG-AFTRA, the American Screen Actors Guild, has officially responded to the latest counter-proposal from The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) after receiving the offer.
SAG-AFTRA stated on its social media channels, “Several essential items remain unresolved, including AI. We will keep you informed as events develop.”
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Sources have indicated that the current proposal includes a clause requiring payment from studios and streaming services for scanning performers’ likenesses, but not for reusing those scans.
This agreement would permit studios to use the scanned likeness of deceased performers in film and television without estate consent.
A union source stressed the need to address this language: “We cannot accept this provision. Even high-earning performers who may view this as a minimum wage strike must recognize that this is about protecting them. It would be detrimental if we accepted this deal with that language intact.”
The “last, best and final” terminology suggests that the studios are unwilling to engage in further major contract negotiations after this proposal.
While the AMPTP asserts that their offer is definitive, the strike will persist until SAG-AFTRA and its members consent to the terms proposed by the studios. If no agreement is reached, the strike will endure until the AMPTP presents an improved offer. The guild holds the ultimate authority in this matter.
This marks the second of two major Hollywood strikes in 2023, with the Writers Guild of America strike having been resolved on September 27. The AMPTP similarly employed the “last, best and final offer” terminology in their ultimate proposal to the Writers Guild.
To sustain themselves during the strikes, actors and entertainment workers have relied on charitable foundations like the Entertainment Community Fund, the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. These organizations have received substantial donations from prominent actors, including Meryl Streep, Hugh Jackman, and Nicole Kidman.
Our Reader’s Queries
Is the SAG-AFTRA strike going to end?
After a month-long wait, the Sag-Aftra union has finally ratified its contract with Hollywood studios. This comes after the parties reached an agreement that ended the historic strike, which had caused major disruptions in the film and television industry.
Is the actors strike almost over?
A new contract has been tentatively agreed upon by SAG-AFTRA.
Are actors still on strike 2023?
A temporary agreement was made between the opposing parties on November 8, 2023. The strike came to a halt at 12:01 a.m. PST on November 9. The SAG-AFTRA community gave their official approval to the contract on December 5, with an impressive 78% of members voting in favor of it.
How long will the writers strike last 2023?
The WGA’s recent strike lasted for 148 days, making it the second longest labor stoppage in the organization’s history, tied with the 1960 strike. The only strike that lasted longer was the 1988 strike, which went on for 153 days. This strike was part of a larger series of Hollywood labor disputes, including the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike that lasted until November.