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[1/3] Workers and supporters of the Writers Guild of America protest outside Universal Studios Hollywood in the Universal City area of Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni//File PhotoLOS ANGELES, Aug 9 (Reuters) - 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. Writers also sought to regulate the use of artificial intelligence, which they fear could replace their creative input. 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 it comes to artificial intelligence, it is an existential crisis.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, David Zaslav, Dawn Prestwich, Prestwich, assailing, Bob Iger, we're, Jamey Perry, Steven J, Ross, Dawn Chmielewski, Danielle Broadway, Mary Milliken, Sandra Maler Organizations: Workers, Writers Guild of America, Universal Studios Hollywood, REUTERS, Hollywood, Entertainment, Warner Bros Discovery, Screen Actors Guild, SAG, WGA, Alliance, Television Producers, Hope, Walt Disney, Reuters, Disney, University of Southern, Thomson Locations: Universal City, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Hollywood, University of Southern California, Los Angeles

☆ Disney reportedly creates task force to explore A.I. and cut costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Members of the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild walk the picket line outside of Disney Studios in Burbank, California, on July 18, 2023. Walt Disney has created a task force to study artificial intelligence and how it can be applied across the entertainment conglomerate, even as Hollywood writers and actors battle to limit the industry's exploitation of the technology. Launched earlier this year, before the Hollywood writers' strike, the group is looking to develop AI applications in-house as well as form partnerships with startups, three sources told Reuters. AI has become a powder keg in Hollywood, where writers and actors view it as an existential threat to jobs. It is a central issue in contract negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America, both of which are on strike.

Persons: Walt Disney, Walt Disney Imagineering, Indiana Jones, Disney Imagineer, Groot, Imagineer, Harrison Ford Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Screen, Disney Studios, Hollywood, Reuters, Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Guardians, Screen Actors Guild Locations: Burbank , California, Hollywood

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., July 31, 2023. As evidence of its interest, Disney has 11 current job openings seeking candidates with expertise in artificial intelligence or machine learning. AI has become a powder keg in Hollywood, where writers and actors view it as an existential threat to jobs. In Switzerland, Disney Research has been exploring AI, machine learning and visual computing, according to its website. This technology is used to augment digital effects, not replace human actors, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Imagineering, Indiana Jones, Disney Imagineer, Groot, Imagineer, Harrison Ford, STEAMBOAT WILLIE, Willie, Bob Iger, Marvel, Hao Li, Li, Scott Trowbridge, Dawn Chmielewski, Krystal Hu, Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Walt Disney Studios, REUTERS, Hollywood, Reuters, Disney, Guardians, Screen Actors Guild, STEAMBOAT, U.S . Patent, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Disney Research, Star, Galactic, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Hollywood, Zurich, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Disney's, Switzerland, Los Angeles, New York

☆ The back-to-office backfire: Companies ending WFH perks lose out on top talent, who view flexible work as equivalent to an 8% raise
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Employees see flexible workplaces as an equivalent benefit to an 8% raise, WSJ reported. In some cases, employer pressure to return to in-person work results in employee efforts to unionize or strike over the rollback in benefits, according to Entrepreneur magazine. Insider previously reported work stoppages seen have the highest level of public support since 1965. Some employees, like an Arizona administrator making six figures, have quit altogether when called back to the office, Insider previously reported. Research by Prithwiraj Choudhury, an associate professor at the Harvard Business School and remote work expert, found that employees who worked from home 75% of the time were the most productive, Insider previously reported.

Persons: Nicholas Bloom, Prithwiraj Choudhury Organizations: Service, Disney, JPMorgan, Guardian, Labor Department, Actors Guilds, Employers, Street, Workers, Stanford, Harvard Business School Locations: Wall, Silicon, Arizona

☆ 'Barbie' is less than $100 million away from a billion-dollar box office heading into third weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Barbie" is less than $100 million away from topping $1 billion at the global box office. "Joining the billion-dollar box office club is a watershed moment for 'Barbie' and Greta Gerwig as the latter will become the first solo female director to achieve that feat," said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. Anna Boden, co-director of Disney's "Captain Marvel," was the first female director to be attached to a billion-dollar live-action film. When "Barbie" tops this mark, it will become the first billion-dollar film to do so for the newly minted Warner Bros. Box office analysts don't expect "Barbie" ticket sales to stall after this weekend, either.

Persons: Barbie, Greta Gerwig, Shawn Robbins, Anna Boden, Marvel, Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Robbins, It's, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Mattel, BoxOffice.com, Disney, Warner Bros, Comscore, Screen, – American Federation of Television, Radio Artists Locations: Comscore, Hollywood

☆ Striking Hollywood writers, studios meet to discuss resuming talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 2, 2023. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, Aug 4 (Reuters) - As the Hollywood writers' strike approaches the 100-day mark, Writers Guild of America (WGA) negotiators will meet on Friday with representatives of the major studios for the first time in three months to discuss whether contract talks can resume. "We challenge the studios and AMPTP to come to the meeting they called for this Friday with a new playbook," the WGA said in an email. Fox is expected to announce that television's Emmy Awards will be rescheduled to air in January due to the strikes, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a person familiar with the plans. Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; additional reporting by Danielle Broadway in Los Angeles Editing by Mary Milliken and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mario, Walt Disney, Fox, Jorge A . Reyes, Kevin Hill, Dawn Chmielewski, Danielle Broadway, Mary Milliken, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Paramount Studios, REUTERS, Hollywood, Guild of America, WGA, Television Producers, Walt, Netflix, Screen Actors, Los Angeles Times, Warner Bros Discovery, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Los Angeles

Aug 3 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) warned Thursday that uncertainty over the dual strikes by Hollywood writers and actors could impact the timing of its film slate and its ability to produce and deliver content. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Warner Bros Discovery and the other major studios in negotiations, asked to meet on Friday with the writers' guild to discuss the possibility of resuming talks. Warner Bros Discovery's revenue took a hit in the second quarter due to soft box office results, including the underperformance of the DC Comics-inspired film, "The Flash." The exterior of the Warner Bros. Under Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery has been seeking to run its direct-to-consumer business more efficiently.

Persons: David Zaslav, Fran Drescher, Alyssa Pointer, Jamie Lumley, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis, Shounak Dasgupta, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Warner Bros Discovery, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Screen, SAG, Hasbro, Alliance, Television Producers, Paramount, Times, Variety, Warner Bros, DC Comics, Warner Bros . Discovery, Alliance of Motion Pictures, REUTERS, Discovery Inc, Total, HBO, Max, Thomson Locations: New York, Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Bengaluru

Picketers walk outside the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, CA on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 as the Writers Guild of America strike enters the sixth week. As the Hollywood writers strike nears its 100th day and pressure from striking actors mounts, producers are asking for a meeting. The Writers Guild of America told screenwriters that Carol Lombardini, the studio negotiator, requested to talk Friday about the possibility of resuming negotiations with the guild. The meeting request doesn't guarantee that producers and writers will resume talks, but it's the first sign of movement in a stalemate between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the WGA since early May when the strike began. Tens of thousands of actors joined the picket lines last month, bringing Hollywood productions to a standstill and marking the first simultaneous actors' and writers' strikes since 1960.

Persons: Carol Lombardini, we've, Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree Organizations: Walt Disney Studios, Writers Guild of America, Hollywood, Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, WGA, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, SAG Locations: Burbank , CA

☆ ‘Barbenheimer’ box office success has reawakened America’s moviegoing muscle
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —It’s a tale of two movies and a box office triumph: “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” maintained incredible momentum into their second weekends. It is the largest domestic second weekend performance ever for Warner Bros., which produced the movie. Crucially, these numbers reflect that not only is there high energy and excitement for movies, but an appetite for the movie theater experience. People dress up as the doll Barbie to attend the Barbie movie on July 21, 2023 in New York City. “You have to go into the theater to experience it.”Repeat viewings are also fueling box office earnings.

Persons: CNN —, “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, Barbie ”, Oppenheimer, Barbie, Stephanie Keith, Barbenheimer, it’s, ”, Michael O’Leary, “ Oppenheimer, O’Leary, “, they've, Instagram O’Leary, there’s, Paul Dergarabedian, Eric Thayer, Shawn Robbins Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., National Association of Theater Owners, B Theaters, Hollywood, B, “, Guild of America, SAG, Comscore, ”, Screen, Fox Studios, Bloomberg, Getty, Boxoffice Pro Locations: New York City, United States, Los Angeles

☆ Ongoing strikes could kill Hollywood's momentum after the 'Barbenheimer' bump, but 4 industry insiders and analysts are still optimistic about the future of these 5 entertainment companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Here's which entertainment companies will outperform, according to analysts and industry insiders. Four industry veterans Insider spoke with unanimously agreed that unless the strikes are resolved soon, the movie industry's much-needed revival will fizzle out. In a mid-July note about the movie industry, Reese and Pachter highlighted three theater-related companies that are best positioned to survive in this difficult environment. FuboTV should be a winner since it's a solid alternative for cord cutters who still need news and sports coverage, which aren't impacted by the strikes, Pachter noted. Netflix is perhaps the most fascinating company in the media industry right now.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Paul Dergarabedian, Alicia Reese, David A, Gross, Strikes, Reese, Michael Pachter, Dergarabedian, Pachter, Richard Gelfond, JPMorgan's David Karnovsky, Wedbush's Pachter, aren't, it's Organizations: Hollywood, Wedbush Securities, Entertainment Research, Alliance, Television Producers, Consumers, Netflix Locations: Hollywood, creatives

☆ U.S. food bank gives groceries to striking Hollywood actors, writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Jorge Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People take groceries as World Harvest Food Bank founder, Glen Curado (not pictured) extends free groceries to Hollywood strikers, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Jorge GarciaLOS ANGELES, July 27 (Reuters) - A Los Angeles food bank created to support low-income families is now coming to the aid of striking and struggling Hollywood actors and writers, some of whom show up for free groceries with tears in their eyes. We’re barely middle class as it is," SAG member Kristina Wong told Reuters at the food bank. Wong wanted to find ways to help her fellow union members, and that meant reaching out to the founder of the food bank, Glen Curado. This is particularly true for SAG members like Niketa Calame-Harris, who appreciates the "peace of mind" going to the food bank creates for her and her daughter.

Persons: Glen Curado, Jorge Garcia, Kristina Wong, they’re, Wong, Curado, they're, he's, they've, It's, Niketa, Harris, Danielle Broadway, Mary Milliken, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Harvest Food Bank, REUTERS, Jorge Garcia LOS ANGELES, Hollywood, Screen Actors Guild, Writer's Guild of America, Reuters, SAG, WGA, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Los Angeles, Venice, United States, Glen

☆ How Netflix can end the Hollywood strike in a way Disney, Paramount can't afford
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

"The strike is not something we wanted," said Sarandos, whose company is negotiating jointly with competing movie studios like Disney and Paramount whose parent companies also own streaming services. Some big-media companies that own streaming services, like Paramount and Disney, have seen their shares drop even in the renewed bull market of the past year. LightShed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield says Netflix made $6.5 billion last year excluding interest, taxes, and non-cash charges, while rival streaming services at Paramount, Disney and NBC lost more than $8 billion. That's a relatively small number for an industry with revenues topping $70 billion, $31.6 billion of it last year at Netflix. Paramount Global's Paramount+ service lost $1.8 billion last year, but saw losses shrink in the first quarter.

Persons: Mike Blake, Mark Mahaney, Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters, Michael Pachter, Robert Iger, Iger, CNBC's David Faber, Max, Rich Greenfield, Mahaney, hasn't, Jake Urbanski, Jamie Lumley, Peters, Spencer Neumann Organizations: Guild of America, Netflix, Alliance, Producers, Wednesday, Writers Guild of America, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Disney, Paramount Global, Amazon, Wedbush Securities, Television Producers, CNBC, Walt Disney Co, Sun, Paramount, Warner Bros, LightShed, NBC, Hollywood, Moody's Investors Service, Writers ' Guild of America, WGA, Twitter, Hulu, Comcast, Apple Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S

☆ Hollywood strike may soon turn destructive for media stock investors, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

"We're getting to a point of being very destructive to the entertainment ecosystem," said Rosenblatt Securities analyst Barton Crockett. Bazinet said to expect the walkout to last into the fourth quarter, which would mean a writers' strike lasting between around 150 and 240 days and an actors' strike in a range of 70 and 160 days. The strikes could cost the film and TV industry about $150 million per week, Citigroup's Bazinet wrote, using inflation-adjusted data from the 1980 actors' strike. "The lasting impacts are: [it] makes the streamers stronger and the traditional media companies weaker," Crockett said. JPMorgan analyst David Karnovsky downgraded movie theatre chain Cinemark shares to neutral from overweight earlier this week, citing the strike.

Persons: We're, Barton Crockett, Jason Bazinet, Bazinet, Douglas Mitchelson, Mitchelson, Goldman Sachs, Brett Feldman, Philip Cusick, Cusick, Goldman's Feldman, Citigroup's Bazinet, Rosenblatt's Crockett, Crockett, Feldman, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Stephen Laszczyk, David Karnovsky, Karnovsky, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Screen, – American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Alliance, Television Producers, Writers Guild of America, Rosenblatt Securities, Media, AMC, Disney, Warner Bros, Discovery, Paramount, Netflix, UFC, Endeavor, WWE, SAG, Credit Suisse, JPMorgan, AMC Networks, WBD, Covid, Comcast, CNBC

☆ James Cameron says AI-produced scripts are regurgitated 'word salad' and are unlikely to replace human writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Titanic" and "Avatar" director James Cameron doesn't think AI will replace human writers. Cameron said he "certainly" wasn't interested in AI writing his scripts, but he could be forced to reassess his stance in the future. The Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild are currently on strike for the first time since 1960. A significant factor in their protest is the fear of being replaced by AI, Insider previously reported. Richard Walter, the former chairman of UCLA's screenwriting program, told Insider writers should not fear AI.

Persons: James Cameron doesn't, Oscar, James Cameron, Cameron, they've, we've, Timnit Gebru, Emily M Bender, Oppenheimer, —, Richard Walter Organizations: CTV News, Canada's CTV, Guild, Screen, Writers Guild of America, TechCrunch, Microsoft

☆ A New Interest in Unions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( David Leonhardt | More About David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Cantor was one of the founders of a new Hollywood labor union, the Screen Actors Guild, along with James Cagney, Miriam Hopkins, Groucho Marx, Spencer Tracy and others. The previous month, the union’s members had elected Cantor as their president. During Roosevelt’s early flurry of legislation, he signed an economic recovery bill that included a provision giving workers a clearer right to join labor unions than they had previously had. Americans responded by signing up for unions by the thousands. By inviting Cantor to join him for Thanksgiving, Roosevelt reminded Americans of the central role that labor unions played in a healthy capitalist economy.

Persons: Franklin Roosevelt, Eddie Cantor, Cantor, James Cagney, Miriam Hopkins, Groucho Marx, Spencer Tracy, Roosevelt Organizations: Hollywood’s, Screen Actors, Hollywood Locations: Warm Springs, Ga

☆ Goldman Sachs thinks its favorite media stock can rally more than 60% despite Hollywood strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Goldman Sachs sees big gains ahead for Warner Bros. Analyst Brett Feldman said Warner Bros. Companies will likely continue keeping focus on profitability in streaming with subscriber growth likely nonexistent or minimal. He said those execution catalysts are largely within the company's hands, pointing specifically to the fact that Warner Bros. Warner Bros.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Brett Feldman, Feldman, Barbie, HBO Max, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Guild of America, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Hollywood, Warner Bros, Discovery, CNN, HBO

☆ The media industry is in turmoil, and that's not changing anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

All of this turmoil will be on investors' minds as the media industry kicks off its earnings season this week, with Netflix up first on Wednesday. Netflix, with a new advertising model and push to stop password sharing, looks the best positioned compared with legacy media giants. At the top of the list is contending with Disney's TV networks, as that part of the business appears to be in a worse state than Iger had imagined. The labor fight blew up just as the industry has moved away from streaming growth at all costs. Last week's ruling from a federal judge that Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of game publisher Activision Blizzard should move forward serves as a rare piece of good news for the media industry.

Persons: Mike Blake, Bob Iger, Iger, Bob Iger's, Michael Nathanson, SVB, CNBC's David Faber, Nathanson, Producers –, Mark Boidman, Ross Benes, Benes, Comcast's NBCUniversal, Solomon, Boidman, Random, Paramount's Simon, Schuster, Tegna, Jason Anderson, Peter Liguori, Anderson, HBO Max, Homer, Marge Getty Organizations: Guild of America, Netflix, Alliance, Producers, Reuters, Disney, Disney's, Paramount Global, Comcast, Warner Bros, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Media, Solomon Partners, CNBC, Hollywood, Intelligence, ABC, Paramount, BET, NBC Sports, USA, Discovery, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, dealmaking, Microsoft, Tribune Media, Max, HBO, Amazon, MGM, Sky, Fox Corp, FOX Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, MoffettNathanson, Hulu

☆ Why celebrities are on strike: Not every actor makes Tom Cruise money
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

However, the BLS noted in the data that actors aren’t paid full-time year-round due to the nature of the job. Screen Actors Guild members and supporters on a picket line in Times Square in New York, US, on Friday, July 14, 2023. Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesBefore the contract between actors and movie studios officially expired this week, SAG-AFTRA members had negotiated specific minimum rates for performers. For example, an actor who worked on a television show for one week was paid a minimum of $3,756. According to Shaan Sharma, an actor and SAG-AFTRA board member, just 12.7% of SAG-AFTRA members qualify for the union’s health plan.

Persons: they’ve, Meryl Streep, Matt Damon, Fran Drescher, you’re, aren’t, Yuki Iwamura, Kellee Stewart, ”, “, Dwayne “, ” Johnson, Forbes, Johnson, Cruise, Tom Cruise, Barry Diller, ‘, ” Diller, “ I’m, Shaan Sharma, Rod McLachlan, it’s, ” McLachlan, Chris Pizzello, ” Stewart, Stewart, “ There’s, Bob Iger, ’, Iger, Netflix’s, Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters, “ Rather, AFTRA, Kevin Klowden, Klowden, Natasha Chen Organizations: CNN, SAG, Hollywood, Hollywood’s, Guild of America, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, Guild, Bloomberg, Getty, Forbes, Variety, CBS, Sunday, Paramount, Netflix, Twitter, Disney, CNBC, Walt Disney Studios, The Alliance, Television Producers, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Apple, Warner Bros, Milken Institute Locations: California, New York, Los Angeles, London, Australia, New Zealand

☆ Prolonged Hollywood strikes could lead to 'an absolute collapse of an entire industry,' says IAC Chair Diller
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Diller, a former Paramount Pictures CEO, predicted a domino effect should the dual strikes not resolve quickly. "These conditions will potentially produce an absolute collapse of an entire industry," he said. That means that by the time the strikes are settled, there won't be enough money to ramp programs back up. AI companies must come up with a fair business model before ingesting publishers' copyrighted work, Diller said. "It took 15 years to get back on paywalls that protected publishers," Diller said.

Persons: Barry Diller, Diller Organizations: IAC, CBS, Paramount Pictures, Google, Microsoft, CNBC, YouTube, Hollywood Locations: Hollywood

☆ SAG strike: Amid strikes and flops, it's a cruel summer for Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —For Hollywood, 2023 will be remembered as a cruel summer, a dead reckoning of a different kind. The summer’s ostentatious setbacks for studios have included “The Flash” (released by Warner Bros., like CNN, a unit of Warner Bros. The asterisk – and it’s a big one – is that the guilds know precious little about the economic specifics of the streaming business, which aren’t widely shared. Actors and writers who once counted on residual payments could see TV ratings and box-office tallies. Because projects are produced far in advance, consumers won’t see the broader consequences of these strikes for a while.

Persons: –, Ronald Reagan, Disney’s “ Indiana Jones, ”, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller, Indiana Jones, “, Tony Gilroy, Duncan Crabtree, Bob Iger, Iger, Mike Blake, George Clooney Organizations: CNN, Hollywood, Screen, Warner Bros, Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures, Variety, ESPN, SAG, Adobe, Disney, Netflix, Writers Guild of America, Reuters Locations: Sun Valley, Los Angeles

☆ Biden throws his support behind Hollywood actors' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

230712Count President Joe Biden among the supporters of the actors strike in Hollywood. "The President believes all workers — including actors — deserve fair pay and benefits," White House spokesperson said Robyn Patterson in a statement Friday. "The President supports workers' right to strike and hopes the parties can reach a mutually beneficial agreement." Biden, a proponent of organized labor, previously backed striking members of the Writers Guild of America in May, when Hollywood's scribes started picketing. Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC this week that he believes the writers and actors' expectations are "just not realistic."

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Robyn Patterson, Biden, They're, Bob Iger, Sen, Alex Padilla, Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff Organizations: NATO, Vilnius University, Writers Guild of America, Ford, General Motors, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Alliance, Television Producers, Hollywood, CNBC, Democratic, U.S, Reps, SAG Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Hollywood, California, Democratic California

☆ Hollywood actors join writers on strike: ‘There's a lot of bitterness and mistrust’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Hollywood actors are joining TV and film writers on the picket lines. Later that day, the union officially issued a strike order for its actors. On a granular level, there are several sticking points on which actors and studios could not ultimately agree. As with writers, actors' wages account for taxes, team members such as managers (agents get their own commission on top of actor pay) and for the unpredictability of their industry. "There's a lot of bitterness and mistrust at this point," says Handel, "both in terms of the actors and the studio alliance and also the writers and the studio alliance."

Persons: Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree, AFTRA, Paul Hardart, we've, Jonathan Handel, Handel, who've, That's, Tallie Medel, who's, they're, They're, Oppenheimer, Hardart, they'll Organizations: Hollywood, Alliance, Television Producers, Warner Bros . Discovery, Universal Pictures, Hulu, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, New York University's Entertainment, Media, Technology, SAG, Productions, Paramount, Netflix, Writers Guild, CNBC Locations: Los Angeles , California, Hollywood, Ireland

☆ George Clooney says entertainment industry is at an 'inflection point' as actors like Jason Sudeikis hit picket lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Dan Heching Cheri Mossburg Chloe Melas | Dan Heching | Cheri Mossburg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Oscar winner George Clooney has joined the chorus of artists calling for change as actors hit the picket lines in their first strike against film and television studios since 1980. “This is an inflection point in our industry,” Clooney told CNN in a statement on Friday. The SAG-AFTRA strike was officially announced on Thursday. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, stressed to reporters on Friday that the actors’ strike is not a ploy for big name stars to make more money. The writers’ strike had already halted production on most films and television shows.

Persons: CNN — Oscar, George Clooney, ” Clooney, ”, “ Ted Lasso ”, Jason Sudeikis, Sudeikis, Alexi Rosenfeld, Constance Zimmer, Lisa Edelstein, Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree, ” Crabtree Organizations: CNN, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, SAG, Writers Guild of America East, NBC Rockefeller Center, Getty, WGA Locations: New York, Ireland

☆ Actors set to hit picket lines Friday in largest US strike in 26 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Actors are set to hit picket lines Friday morning in their first strike against film and TV productions since 1980 and the nation’s largest strike since 1997. This is the largest number of union members to be on strike since 180,000 Teamsters walked out on UPS in 1997. The Teamsters, who have 340,000 members at UPS, are threatening to strike the parcel delivery giant on August 1 without a new contract. The actors also join more than 11,000 member of the Writers Guild of America who have been on strike against the same studios and streaming services since May 2. Actors are due on picket lines in Los Angeles and New York at 9 am PDT and noon EDT Friday.

Persons: It’s, Ronald Reagan, ”, “, Duncan Crabtree, Fran Drescher, –, Natasha Chen Organizations: New, New York CNN, SAG, Teamsters, UPS, Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors, Management, Alliance, Television Producers, ” Locations: New York, Southern California, Los Angeles and New York, Ireland

☆ UK-filmed TV shows could go ahead despite SAG strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —As a host of Hollywood actors join film and TV writers in a strike against major studios and streaming services, filming and production of some popular shows – including “House of the Dragon” and “Industry” – could continue, due to UK strike laws. A source with knowledge of the productions confirmed to CNN that both are Equity contract shows. Actors are calling for increased pay as well as progress on residuals paid for when films or shows are shown again, particularly on streaming services. They join 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, who have been on strike for two months. Production of many movies and television shows has already been shut down by the current writers’ strike, and the actors’ strike threatens to bring most remaining productions to a halt, other than on some independent films not associated with studios.

Persons: “, HBO’s, ”, Joseph Charlton, Paul Fleming Organizations: London CNN, Hollywood, “, Equity, Screen Actors, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, “ SAG, Leavesden Studios, HBO, Industry, CNN, Warner Bros ., SAG, Wednesday, Writers Guild of America Locations: British, England, Watford, London, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, United States

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