SAG-AFTRA has agreed to bring in federal mediation to break the deadlock in contract talks with the studios and streamers one day before the Guild’s current agreement expires.
However the Guild said on Tuesday afternoon it did not intend to further extend contract negotiations, which are scheduled to expire at midnight Pacific Time on Wednesday (July 12).
“The AMPTP [studio negotiator Alliance Of Motion Picture And Television Producers] has abused our trust and damaged the respect we have for them in this process,” the Guild said. “We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to engineer an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal.”
The development comes as Hollywood agency and studio heads have been scrambling in last-gasp calls to SAG-AFTRA leadership in the hopes of preventing an actors strike.
According to reports the heads of Endeavor and CAA – Ari Emanuel and Bryan Lourd – offered to help find a resolution in a bid to avert Hollywood’s first double strike in more than 60 years. The Writers Guild Of America (WGA) went on strike on May 2 and industrial action is in its 11th week.
AMPTP previously called for federal meditators to step in and the measure was discussed on Monday in a call between SAG-AFTRA leadership, Warner Bros Discovery head David Zaslav, Disney executives Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.
Hollywood and the entire global film community is on tenterhooks as talks go down to the wire. The parties are believed to be far apart on matters such as increased compensation, streaming residuals, and artificial intelligence.
With negotiations entering the final phase and livelihoods at stake, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Dreschler did her image no favours when she attended a high fashion event in Puglia, Italy, over the weekend, drawing the ire of many in Hollywood.
The WGA strike has already forced features and in particular television shows to pause. The Guild leadership made it clear they would not allow any actors to promote upcoming films and television by strike companies.
Screen
understands red carpets, interviews, and even interviews for production notes and electronic press kits are forbidden.
That puts studio premieres and promotional efforts in the crosshairs.Universal hosted a premiere of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer
in Paris at the Grand Rex on Tuesday night when Nolan was joined by Cillian Murphy and cast members Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, and Jason Clarke.
The studio has also set a London premiere on Thursday and a premiere in New York ahead of the July 21 release. At time of writing Screen understands Universal planned to proceed with these events and was monitoring the SAG-AFTRA talks closely.
A strike would compromise both the London and New York events.Warner Bros/Mattel got out early on the Barbie
world tour, with Margot Robbie appearing for fans in locales such as Sydney and Seoul before joining co-star Ryan Gosling for the world premiere in Los Angeles last weekend. The film will also open on July 21. The Guild sent a message to its members saying, “We seek reasonable protections which will ensure that writing remains a viable career for current and upcoming writers.” For Amazon, the cost of our proposals is just $32 million per year,
0.006% of the conglomerate’s annual revenue.”‘May December’ to open New York Film Festival
