Movie and TV Stars Join Pickets for Hollywood’s Future – Today News
ANDREW DALTON (AP Entertainment writer)
LOS ANGELES (FloridaToday.news) — Theda Lasso star Jason Sudekis, Rosario Dawson and other leading film and television actors joined the picket line with the writers on Friday for the first full day of the strike in what has become the biggest labor struggle in Hollywood in decades.
The day after the dispute brought production to a halt in the entertainment industry, Sudeikis was among picketers outside NBC in New York, pushing for progress after contract negotiations with studios and streaming services collapsed. Dawson, star of the movie “Rent” and the Star Wars series “Ahsoka”, joined the picketers outside the Warner Bros. in Burbank, California.
Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin marched with chanting protesters outside Netflix’s Hollywood office. Also in attendance at Netflix were Titanic and Unforgiven actress Frances Fisher and The Babysitter star Fran Drescher, president of the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
The arrival of the actors activated picket lines near Netflix, where music blared and the sidewalks were packed with demonstrators.
Elsewhere, Once Upon a Time actress Jennifer Goodwin stood with protesters at Paramount Pictures.
The iconic faces of the Oscar and Emmy winners are likely to make regular appearances at pickets in New York and Los Angeles, adding stardom to demonstrations outside of studios and corporate offices.
The strike is the first double-barreled strike of actors and screenwriters in more than six decades.
In recent weeks, many actors have staged a show of solidarity with the 11,500 writers who quit in May. On Thursday, 65,000 actors’ union members officially joined.
The two guilds have similar problems with studios and streaming services. They are concerned about keeping contracts in line with inflation, as well as residual payments that compensate creators and actors for using their material outside of the original airtime, such as on reruns or on streaming services. The unions also want to put up barriers against the use of artificial intelligence that mimics their work in film and television.
Many picketers have targeted Disney CEO Bob Iger, who on Wednesday said the damage the strikes would do to the entertainment economy is “shameful.”
“I think when Bob Iger talks about what a shame it is, he needs to remember that in 1980, executives like him were making 30 times what their lowest worker was making,” said actor Sean Gunn. who starred in Guardians of the Galaxy. said outside of Netflix.
Now Eiger “earns 400 times more than his lowest worker. And I think it’s a shame, Bob. And maybe you should take a look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Why is that?”
No talks are planned, and there is no end in sight to the shutdown. This marks the first time both guilds have left the set since 1960, when then-actor Ronald Reagan was the leader of the SAG.
The Film and Television Producers Alliance, which represents employers such as Disney, Netflix, Amazon and others, deplored the strike, saying it would harm thousands of workers in industries that support film and television production.
The actors’ strike will affect more than just filming. Stars will no longer be allowed to promote their work through red carpet premieres or in-person appearances. They cannot campaign for an Emmy Award, participate in auditions or rehearsals.
The strike has led to the cancellation of celebrations scheduled next week for SWAT: Lioness, starring Zoe Saldanha and Nicole Kidman, and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
The Haunted Mansion premiere at Disneyland on Saturday was scheduled to proceed as planned, but without the cast to promote the film.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the entertainment industry is “at a historic turning point.” She urged all parties to work around the clock until an agreement is reached.
“This affects all of us and is important to our economy as a whole,” Bass said in a statement.
While international filming could technically continue, the shutdown among US writers and performers is likely to affect them as well.
The writers’ strike has already halted much of TV production, and actors joining them immediately brought many major films to a halt, including Deadpool 3, Gladiator 2, and the eighth installment of Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible series. . All of them are scheduled for release next year.
The writers’ strike also resulted in the closure of late-night talk shows and Saturday Night Live, as well as several scripted shows that either had their writers’ rooms suspended or had production suspended, including Stranger Things on Netflix. , “Khaki” on Max. and Family Guy on Fox. Many others are sure to follow now that the performers have also been fired.
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