Hollywood studios and streaming services on Tuesday released the terms of a revised proposal to striking writers, but the union urged members to continue picketing as the new offer failed to address all their concerns.
The Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) had walked off the job on May 2 after negotiations reached an impasse, and were later joined by members of the Screen Actors Guild, halting productions across Hollywood and costing the California economy billions of dollars.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which negotiates on behalf of companies including Walt Disney and Netflix, changed its offer to include new details about critical issues like compensation, minimum staffing, residual payments and curbs on artificial intelligence.
Impact of Ongoing Hollywood Strike on BC Film/TV Industry
According to the latest proposal, the WGA will get a compounded 13 per cent pay increase over the three-year contract, and AI-generated written content will not be considered “literary material.”
Story continues below advertisement
The streaming platforms also offered to provide the WGA, which represents around 11,500 film and television writers, with the total number of hours viewed for each made-for-streaming show in confidential quarterly reports.
“We have come to the table with an offer that meets the priority concerns the writers have expressed. We are deeply committed to ending the strike and are hopeful that the WGA will work toward the same resolution,” AMPTP President Carol Lombardini said in a statement.
‘Their fight is our fight’: Canadian workers monitor Hollywood strikes
WGA received the counterproposal from AMPTP on Aug. 11 and on Tuesday met with Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger, Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav, NBCUniversal Studio Group Chair Donna Langley and Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, to discuss the new offer.
“But this was not a meeting to make a deal. This was a meeting to get us to cave,” WGA said in a message to its members.
Story continues below advertisement
The union said it explained in the meeting why the offer fell short and “failed to sufficiently protect writers from the existential threats that caused us to strike in the first place,” but AMPTP released details of the proposal anyway.
Writers’ strike reaches 100 days: Where do we stand?
WGA plans to continue picketing and said it would share with members more details on the state of the negotiations.
“And we will see you all out on the picket lines and let the companies continue to see what labor power looks like,” it said.
The Hollywood writers’ strike marks 100 days on Wednesday with contract talks stalled and people on the picket lines protesting what they describe as a disregard for their demands.
The strike began on May 2 after negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the major studios reached an impasse over compensation, minimum staffing of writers’ rooms and residual payments in the streaming era, among other issues.
Writers also sought to regulate the use of artificial intelligence, which they fear could replace their creative input.
Entertainment industry executives have been trying to navigate the cross-currents of declining television revenues, a movie box office that has yet to return to pre-COVID levels, and streaming businesses that are largely struggling to turn a profit.
“We are in some uncharted waters,” Warner Bros Discovery WBD.O Chief Executive David Zaslav told investors last week, as the company warned that uncertainty over labor unrest in Hollywood could impact the timing of the company’s film slate and its ability to produce and deliver content.
Story continues below advertisement
Striking Hollywood writers set to restart negotiations with studios after 3 months
Actors represented by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) went on strike on July 14 also over pay and artificial intelligence, effectively halting production of scripted television shows and films and impacting businesses throughout the entertainment world’s orbit. It is the first time both unions have gone on strike since 1960.
A meeting last week to discuss resuming talks between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the group representing the major studios in negotiations, resulted in no firm date for returning to the bargaining table.
The WGA sent a message to its 11,500 members later that same day, complaining about details leaking from the confidential session, but asserting the guild’s negotiating committee “remains willing to engage with the companies and resume negotiations in good faith.”
The WGA did not respond to requests for comment for this story, and the AMPTP declined comment.
Story continues below advertisement
Hollywood actors and writers on strike
Out on the picket lines this week, resolve mixed with anger.
“We are in it until we get the deal we need and deserve, but we can’t help but be discouraged by the attitude that we’re getting from the AMPTP,” said Dawn Prestwich, whose credits include the TV drama “Chicago Hope.” “The indifference, and in some ways, it’s sort of outright cruelty.”
Prestwich said studio executives are supposed to be writers’ creative partners, as they have in the past.
“This business is changing now,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like a human business now.”
The three-month-long strike has occasionally taken on the rhetoric of class warfare, with writers assailing the media executives’ compensation.
The impact of Hollywood strikes on Alberta’s film industry
Walt Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger, fresh off a contract extension that gave him the opportunity to receive an annual incentive bonus of five times his base salary, was criticized for calling the union demands “just not realistic.”
“What makes me sad isn’t thinking we’re not going to win,” said TV writer and WGA member Jamey Perry. “What makes me sad is being exposed to greed and the cruelty of what these companies are doing and the absolute wrongness of what they’re doing. It feels really bad.”
As with past writers’ strikes, this job action responds to Hollywood capitalizing on a new form of distribution – and writers seek to participate in the newfound revenue.
Hollywood’s actors’ strike being felt in Montreal’s film industry
The first strike, in 1960, revolved around writers and actors seeking residual payments for showing old movies on television. Two decades later, writers walked off the job in 1985 to demand a share of revenue from the booming home video market.
The 100-day strike in 2007-08 focused, in part, on extending guild protections to “new media,” including movies and TV downloads as well as content delivered via ad-supported internet services.
Story continues below advertisement
This time around, a central issue is residual payments for streaming services, though demands for curbs on emerging AI technology have also gained importance. Reuters reported that Disney has created a task force to study artificial intelligence and how it can be applied across the entertainment conglomerate, signaling its importance.
“When technologies create new revenue streams, workers want a share of that revenue. Period,” said Steven J. Ross, a professor of history at the University of Southern California. “When it comes to artificial intelligence, it is an existential crisis. They have the potential of losing their jobs forever.”
Priyanka Chopra and her husband-singer Nick Jonas are among the most popular actors in Hollywood. While Nick Jonas, of the Jonas Brothers, is loved by many people for his musical masterpieces, Priyanka, on the other hand, is known for her power-packed acting skills. Recently, news poured in stating about the demise of former Ellen Show DJ Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss. This development has sent shock waves in the Hollywood industry.
Priyanka Chopra expresses grief on the demise of former Ellen Show DJ Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss
Soon after this news swept on the social media handles, Priyanka Chopra felt jolted from within and penned down a note for Stephen Boss. Taking to Instagram, Priyanka Chopra wrote, “Still processing this. You gave so much to the world. You just never know what someone is going through. Rest in peace and love tWitch. You truly were a light.”
She added, “My condolences to @allisonholker and the children.”
Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss dies by suicide
Former Ellen Show DJ —Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss died allegedly by suicide, as reported by TMZ. The leading publication stated that law enforcement agencies in the USA have recovered a suicide note from the place where Stephen was found dead.
On December 14, TMZ reported that the Hollywood celebrity died from a self-inflicted gunshot. Soon after the news was confirmed that Stephen was dead, his wife Allison Holker said to the People, “Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends, and community above all else, and leading with love and light was everything to him.”
Allison continued, “He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans. To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt. I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honor his memory.”
The 53-year-old Hollywood actor Jennifer Aniston, who is best known for her role as Rachel in the TV series Friends, has dropped an interesting update ahead of the upcoming Christmas festivities. On Thursday, the actor took to Instagram and highlighted the fun-filled preparations that she has in store for her fans and well-wishers for Christmas.
Here is how actor Jennifer Aniston is preparing for Christmas festivities
Recently, Jennifer Aniston paid tribute to her father John Aniston, who passed away on November 11 this year. Knowing this, many of Jennifer’s fans were unsure whether she will be willing to celebrate Christmas this year.
Amidst such an uncertain atmosphere, Jennifer’s latest post is filled with warmth and positivity. In the pictures shared by the ‘Just Go With It’ actor, she can be seen highlighting her Christmas preparations, after which many fans now look cheerful and are hoping that good times lie ahead.
In one picture, Jennifer can be seen hugging a towering tree while in the other pictures, her puppies look cheerful looking at the wooden Rudolph. She captioned this memorable post by saying, “Good luck to all the wooden Rudolphs out there.”
Many of Jennifer’s fans have also dropped hearts in the comments section. For the unaware, the festival of Christmas is celebrated annually on December 25 across the globe.
Jennifer Aniston opens up about her discomfort in using social media platforms
In a recent interview with the ‘Allure’ publication, Jennifer talked about how she feels using social media platforms. She had said, “I hate social media. I’m not good at it. It’s torture for me. The reason I went on Instagram was to launch this [haircare] line [LolaVie]. Then the pandemic hit and we didn’t launch. So I was just stuck with being on Instagram. It doesn’t come naturally.”
“I’m really happy that we got to experience growing up, being a teenager, being in our 20s without this social media aspect. Look, the internet, great intentions, right? Connect people socially, social networking. It goes back to how young girls feel about themselves, compare and despair,” she told the publication.
