Hollywood’s largest strike in more than 60 years has thousands of actors on picket lines, including Jason Sudeikis, Susan Sarandon, and thousands more.
In May, writers left their jobs in protest over wages, working conditions, and a lack of safeguards against the development of artificial intelligence (AI).
The stoppage could have an impact on high-profile movies now under development, such as the Avatar and Gladiator sequels.
Actors are unable to perform in movies or even promote them while the strike is ongoing.
The lead actor of HBO’s Succession, Brian Cox, told the BBC that the strike might go “until the end of the year.”
The Scottish actress told BBC Newscast that “the entire streaming thing has shifted the paradigm.”
“They are trying to freeze us out and beat us into the ground, because there’s a lot of money to be made in streaming and the desire is not to share it with the writers or the performers.”
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) was accused by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) of being “unwilling to offer a fair deal” as negotiations for a new contract with studios and streaming juggernauts stalled on Thursday.
Around 160,000 performers left their jobs at midnight, joining the 11,500 writers who staged a walkout on May 2nd.
In Los Angeles, New York, and other locations, major studios and streaming services had crowds of union members and their supporters outside their offices before midday on Friday.
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Some of the biggest names in film and television have shown their support to the demonstrations, including the cast of the upcoming Oppenheimer film, who left the red carpet on Thursday night.
The two guilds demand better pay, higher royalties, more payments to their pension and health plans, and restrictions on the use of AI in the business from studios and streaming platforms.
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