The Screen Actors Guild has voted to go on strike amid the ongoing writers strike, and what that means for your favorite TV shows and movies is a halt on productions.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) voted unanimously on Thursday to join the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) strike effectively shutting down Hollywood, the Hollywood Reporter reported.
The strike means “all scripted series” will shut down, and productions on TV shows and movies must stop until an agreement can be reached, as previously reported.
In May, WGA members authorized a strike after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a trade association that represents a collective of studios, did not approve a new contract with increased minimum compensation and larger contributions to benefits, the Hollywood Reporter noted.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher called AMPTP’s proposals “insulting and disrespectful,” THR noted.
At a moment when Hollywood’s writers remain on strike, members of performers’ union SAG-AFTRA will soon be mounting their own picket lines, constituting the first “double strike” involving both actors and scribes since 1960 https://t.co/C1VI1daRRD pic.twitter.com/P9XUp6NouO
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 13, 2023
“The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us,” Drescher said. “Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal.”
AMPTP’s released a statement and said it was “deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations.”
“In doing so, it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses and more,” the statement read.
#BREAKING #SAGAFTRA: Statement from @amptp. pic.twitter.com/VpYZKWWaFu
— Robert Kovacik (@RobertNBCLA) July 13, 2023
Variety Senior editor Marc Malkin previously told Entertainment Tonight, “If SAG-AFTRA goes on strike, no scripted shows can keep going because the actors are on strike.”
“How do you film a show without the actors?” he added. “And really, the only thing that will be in production [amid an an actors’ strike] will be reality TV shows. Of course it can get worse, as long as shows are put on hold, production is put on hold, it’s going to postpone premiere dates, how long seasons are.”
“You have a show like ‘Emily in Paris,’ they shut down production so they don’t know when they’re going to go back into production,” Malkin continued. “When they go back into production, how fast they can get things going? When [can] they actually premiere a new season?”