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☆ Inside the actors' strike: Why Netflix, Max, and Paramount+ series stars are bringing their 'war' over pay and AI to Hollywood companies that are 'trying to kill our industry'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

With both writers and actors on strike, Hollywood hasn't faced this situation in more than 60 years. SAG-AFTRA union members on Friday hit the picket lines alongside Hollywood writers, who've been striking for nearly three months. Any other use requires the background actor's consent and bargaining for the use, subject to a minimum payment," the spokesperson said in a statement. Union members were quick to decry his remarks as incendiary and out of touch. The 25-year-old has been there since May, when the writers' strike all but paralyzed production in Los Angeles and New York this spring.

Persons: Hollywood hasn't, Laci Mosley, Mosley, Mosley —, Lopez, —, Conan O'Brien's, Coco —, Fran Drescher, Drescher, We've, who've, CHRIS DELMAS, We're, they're, Rather, AFTRA, Duncan Crabtree, Sam Russell, Russell, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, we've, AFTRA who's, Bobby Quillard, Bob Iger, Iger, Bob — they're, Iger's, Jonathan Handel, Puck, you've, Carson Rowland —, it's, Rowland, Carson Rowland, Maria, Rodin, WireImage Rowland, he's, Reed Alexander Organizations: SAG, Hollywood, Paramount, Sirius XM, Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, WGA, Getty, Disney, CNBC, Union, Atlas Financial Advisors, Television Locations: Los Angeles, Los Angeles and New York, Sun Valley , Idaho, South Florida, Boca Raton, LA

☆ Striking writers and actors accuse NBCUniversal of blocking picket area
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] SAG-AFTRA actors strike against the Hollywood studios as they join the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on the picket like outside of Netflix offices in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 14, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoLOS ANGELES, July 18 (Reuters) - Hollywood's striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA actors' union filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Comcast's (CMCSA.O) NBCUniversal on Tuesday, accusing the company of blocking a picket area. The unions said NBCUniversal infringed its freedom to picket and endangered its members by obstructing a public sidewalk next to the company's studio lot in California with an ongoing construction project. Hollywood actors joined film and television writers on picket lines for the first time in 63 years last week as they demanded higher streaming-era pay and curbs on the use of artificial intelligence. "We strongly believe that the company has fulfilled our legal obligations under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and we will cooperate with respect to any inquiries by the National Labor Relations Board on this issue," an NBCUniversal spokesperson said.

Persons: Mike Blake, NBCUniversal, picketers, AFTRA, Mrinmay Dey, Baranjot Kaur, Juby Babu, Lisa Richwine, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Leslie Adler, Jamie Freed Organizations: Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Netflix, REUTERS, Guild of America, SAG, National Labor Relations Board, Comcast's, National Labor Relations, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, California, Bengaluru, Los Angeles

☆ Hollywood studios say they offered actors $1 billion in gains before strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, July 17 (Reuters) - Major film and television studios offered Hollywood actors more than $1 billion in higher compensation and enhanced benefits before the SAG-AFTRA union called a strike last week, a group that represents media companies said on Monday. "For SAG-AFTRA to assert that we have not been responsive to the needs of its membership is disingenuous at best," the AMPTP added. The union said the studios countered with an offer of 5%. "We moved on some things, but from day one they wouldn’t meaningfully engage on the most critical issues," SAG-AFTRA said. The actors have joined members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which went on strike May 2 after failing to reach a deal with the AMPTP.

Persons: AFTRA, Lisa Richwine, Robert Birsel Organizations: SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co, Warner Bros Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Thomson Locations: ANGELES

☆ 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

☆ Actors on strike over pay and the threat of AI are ready for 'war' and vowing to outlast Hollywood execs in 'ivory towers': 'They've already been starving us'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Persons: Hollywood hasn't, Laci Mosley, Mosley, Mosley —, Lopez, —, Conan O'Brien's, Coco —, Fran Drescher, Drescher, We've, who've, CHRIS DELMAS, We're, they're, Rather, AFTRA, Duncan Crabtree, Sam Russell, Russell, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, we've, AFTRA who's, Bobby Quillard, Bob Iger, Iger, Bob — they're, Iger's, Jonathan Handel, Puck, you've, Carson Rowland —, it's, Rowland, Carson Rowland, Maria, Rodin, WireImage Rowland, he's, Reed Alexander Organizations: SAG, Hollywood, Paramount, Sirius XM, Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, WGA, Getty, AMPTP, Disney, CNBC, Union, Netflix, Atlas Financial Advisors Locations: Los Angeles, Los Angeles and New York, Sun Valley , Idaho, South Florida, Boca Raton, LA

☆ 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

☆ How to support the SAG-AFTRA/WGA strike: Streaming TV shows, going to movie theaters doesn't cross the picket line
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The SAG-AFTRA actors' union went on strike Friday, joining the ongoing WGA writers' strike. You can support the strike by donating to the hardship fund that helps struggling strikers. Streaming TV shows or going to the movie theatres is not considered crossing the picket line. Actors in Hollywood's SAG-AFTRA union went on strike on Friday, joining thousands of writers who have been striking since May — here's how you can support them. One of the most impactful things an average person can do to support both the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike and the WGA writers' strike is donating to their cause.

Persons: Adam Conover, AFTRA Organizations: SAG, WGA, Morning, Financial, Disaster Relief Fund, Welfare Emergency, The Entertainment, Washington Post

The actors' union said on Thursday its board had unanimously agreed to a strike after failing to reach a deal with studios, including Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) and Netflix Inc (NFLX.O). Officials said actors would join picket lines in New York and Los Angeles starting on Friday. The economic damage is expected to spread after actors join the picket lines. The actors' walkout will shut down the studios' remaining U.S.-based productions of film and scripted television and hamper many overseas shoots. Britain's main entertainment industry union Equity said it backed its U.S. counterpart and would be bringing up many of the same issues in its own contract negotiations over the next 12 months.

Persons: Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree, Drescher, Rather, AFTRA, Paul Fleming, Lisa Richwine, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Diane Craft, Andrew Heavens, Barbara Lewis Organizations: SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Studios, Britain's Equity, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Walt Disney Co, Netflix Inc, Los Angeles, Equity, U.S ., Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hollywood's, New York, Los, California, Britain, London

☆ 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 union will join writers on strike, shutting down Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Hollywood actors are officially headed to the picket line. Unable to reach a deal with producers, members of The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists will join up with more than 11,000 already striking film and television writers starting at midnight. The failed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers means film and television productions featuring actors will immediately halt, essentially shutting down Hollywood. "We are the victims here," said Fran Drescher, president of the actors union, during a press conference Thursday. During the strike actors will not be permitted to promote past projects through conventions, interviews or panels.

Persons: It'll, Fran Drescher, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, Drescher Organizations: Guild of America, Netflix, Alliance, Producers, Hollywood, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Television Producers, SAG, Fox, WGA Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Hollywood, London

☆ Hollywood actors set the stage for strike action after contract negotiations fail
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Daniel Arkin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Scenes of the mountains in front of the hollywood sign On March 5th 2017 in Los Angeles, United States of America. The contract between the two sides expired just before midnight on Wednesday, capping days of high-stakes negotiations and suspense. (The group represents Comcast, the corporation that owns NBCUniversal; some employees of the NBCUniversal News Group are represented by the WGA.) The actors' strike will likely force other sets to go dark. SAG-AFTRA members authorized a strike on June 5 by an overwhelming margin: 97.91% of the nearly 65,000 members who cast votes.

Persons: Fran Drescher, AFTRA Organizations: SAG, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, AFTRA's, Apple, Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Writers Guild of America, Comcast, NBCUniversal, WGA, Guild of America, DGA, CNBC, Alliance, Television Producers Locations: Los Angeles, United States of America, Hollywood, NBCUniversal

☆ The union movement has never been more popular in the U.S., says Fmr. Labor Secretary Seth Harris
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe union movement has never been more popular in the U.S., says Fmr. Labor Secretary Seth HarrisFmr. Acting Secretary of Labor Seth Harris joins CNBC's Julia Boorstin and 'Last Call' to talk the planned SAG-AFTRA strike hitting Hollywood at the same time as the ongoing WGA strike.

Persons: Seth Harris Fmr, Labor Seth Harris, CNBC's Julia Boorstin Organizations: Labor, Hollywood, WGA Locations: U.S

☆ ‘Oppenheimer’ cast walks out of UK premiere ahead of SAG strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The cast of director Christopher Nolan’s hotly anticipated war-era drama “Oppenheimer” is standing united in the effort to support the SAG-AFTRA strike. Stars of the film appeared on the red carpet of the film’s UK premiere on Thursday before the strike was officially announced, but they ended up walking out of the event “to write their picket signs,” according to Nolan. Addressing the audience inside the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square theater before the screening began, as seen in videos posted to social media, Nolan acknowledged the work of Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh and Robert Downey Jr., among other “Oppenheimer” cast members. The strike is set to go into effect at midnight PT Thursday night. “Oppenheimer” is scheduled to premiere in theaters on July 21.

Persons: Christopher Nolan’s, “ Oppenheimer ”, Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr, “, you’ve, ” Nolan, Oppenheimer, Blunt, we’ll, ” Blunt, ’, Fran Drescher Organizations: CNN, SAG, Odeon Luxe, Square, Guild of America, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Bob Iger says Disney's TV and cable business 'may not be core' and leaves the door open to a sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Disney's Bob Iger said the company's TV and cable businesses may not be core. Disney's no-growth TV and cable businesses "may not be core" to the company and it will be "expansive" about how it treats them, CEO Bob Iger said. Iger said that while cable TV had declined faster than he expected, Disney's parks business is doing well, the studio business has been successful, and streaming has a bright future. There's been industry speculation that Disney might sell ESPN; Iger stressed that Disney was committed to the business. On recent box office misses in Pixar's "Elemental" and "The Little Mermaid," Iger acknowledged Disney's zeal to grow its streaming business contributed to some "disappointments."

Persons: Bob Iger, Iger's, Iger, he's, We've, There's, supercharging Organizations: Disney, Hulu, ESPN, Morning, CNBC, WGA, SAG

LOS ANGELES, July 13 (Reuters) - Hollywood actors will go on strike at midnight on Thursday after talks with studios broke down, joining film and television writers who have been on picket lines since May and deepening the disruption of scores of shows and movies. The actors' union announced at a Thursday press conference that the strike will begin at midnight after its national board unanimously authorized the walkout. Fran Drescher, former star of "The Nanny" TV show and the president of SAG-AFTRA, called the studios' responses to actors' concerns "insulting and disrespectful." But the loss of actors, who will also not promote their films or TV shows while on strike, will put more pressure on media companies to find a resolution. The economic damage is expected to spread after actors join the picket lines on Friday.

Persons: Fran Drescher, Drescher, AFTRA, Rather, Duncan Crabtree, Ridley Scott, Bob Iger, Iger, Matt Damon, Oppenheimer, Lisa Richwine, Jonathan Allen, Dawn Chmielewski, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Mark Porter, Bill Berkrot Organizations: SAG, Writers Guild of America, Television Producers, Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co, Reuters, Alliance, Paramount Pictures, Hollywood, WGA, Screen Actors Guild, Disney, CNBC, Comcast, Paramount Global, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, United States, Hollywood's, Morocco, Malta, Idaho, California

☆ Actors are joining writers on strike against the Hollywood companies, and they're driven by a fear plaguing workers everywhere: Robots are coming for our jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Hollywood writers are entering their third month on strike. Film and TV writers say they're among those who have fared the worst as their industry has been remade, even as others reap the rewards. These Hollywood storytellers share something in common with workers in every industry: Everyone is afraid that the robots are coming for their jobs, Terminator-style. Now, they're some of the dominant forces controlling new content development in the entertainment industry. Recently, I reported on how the Hollywood writers' strike is dispiriting industry hopefuls at the outset of their careers — you can read it here.

Persons: Everything's, Fran Drescher, Adam Conover, Ted Sarandos, Bob Iger, Goldman Sachs, You've, We've, Jonathan Handel, Puck, they'll, Zayd Dohrn, —, Dohrn, Reed Alexander Organizations: Morning, NBC, Nickelodeon, Disney, Hollywood, Netflix, Wall, ., Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, SAG, Apple, Big Tech, WGA, Northwestern University Locations: Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and New York, Chicago

☆ Hollywood actors union sets strike vote for Thursday as talks break down
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAG-AFTRA said its national board would meet Thursday to vote on a strike. If approved, actors would join film and television writers who walked off the job in early May. The writers' strike has sent late-night television talk shows into endless reruns, disrupted most production for the fall TV season and halted work on big-budget movies. An actors' strike would force the remaining U.S.-based productions from Hollywood studios to shut down and put more pressure media companies to find a resolution. Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Alison Williams and Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: AFTRA, Lisa Richwine, Alison Williams, Toby Chopra Organizations: Guild of America, Alliance, Producers, Hollywood, SAG, Writers Guild of America, Thomson Locations: ANGELES

☆ Actors strike looms as midnight deadline approaches, union slams producers' tactics
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

If extended talks between the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers fail by midnight in Los Angeles, 160,000 actors will join already-striking writers on the picket lines on Thursday. SAG-AFTRA disputed reports that the AMPTP made the request for mediation after an emergency meeting Monday with several top Hollywood executives. The union said media reports were published before it was informed that producers were requesting mediation. According to the reports, producers expect that the underpaid workers will run out of money and possibly lose their homes and be forced to come to the bargaining table. NBCUniversal is a member of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Persons: AFTRA Organizations: WGA, Guild of America, Netflix, Hollywood, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Alliance, Television, SAG, Warner Bros, Disney, Comcast, CNBC, Television Producers Locations: Los Angeles , California, Los Angeles, NBCUniversal

☆ With actors poised to join film and TV writers on strike, Hollywood insiders lay out the dream and nightmare scenarios: 'There's going to be no cash flow'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

For the first time since 1960, Hollywood actors and writers could be on strike at the same time. If the actors union, SAG-AFTRA, hits the picket lines, it would cause an even deeper disruption to the entertainment industry. Stakes were high enough with the writers' strike. The movement is having a moment, as has been evidenced by other unions — from teachers to truck drivers — joining Hollywood writers on the picket line. A combined writers' and actors' strike "could well go into the end of the year," Handel said.

Persons: Jonathan Handel, that's, Handel, —, AFTRA, it's, Paul Hardart, Bob Iger, Peter Chernin —, Fox —, Iger, Alan Bergman, Dana Walden, I've, he'd, Hardart Organizations: Hollywood, Guild of, SAG, WGA, Alliance, Producers, Netflix, Disney, Guild of America, Entertainment, Media, Technology, NYU's Stern School of Business, News Corp, Disney Entertainment, United Locations: California, Hollywood, United States

☆ Hollywood studios racing to avoid actors' strike at midnight
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] People attend a demonstration held by the Writers Guild of America as the film and TV writers' strike continues, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 21, 2023. SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood's largest union, is demanding higher compensation in the streaming TV era plus safeguards around the use of artificial intelligence (AI). They would join about 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), who went on strike in early May. A strike by SAG-AFTRA would force more sets to shut down and pile pressure on studios to find a resolution. The studios and the WGA have not held talks since the writers' strike began on May 2.

Persons: Mike Blake, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Walt Disney, Lisa Richwine, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Writers Guild of America, REUTERS, SAG, Hollywood, WGA, Screen, Netflix, Disney, Comcast, Paramount Global, Alliance, Television Producers, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Hollywood's

☆ SAG actors union President Fran Drescher criticized for Italy trip on eve of possible strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Fran Drescher, the president of the SAG-AFTRA union, is facing criticism for traveling to Italy to attend Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda festivities this past weekend as her 160,000-member actors union faces a Thursday deadline to go on strike. And we are concerned by the idea that SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not. An actors strike would bring most remaining productions to a halt, other than on some independent films not associated with studios. There has been no visible progress in ending the writers strike since it started on May 2. This could be the first actors strike against television shows and movie productions since 1980.

Persons: New York CNN — Fran Drescher, Kim Kardashian, ”, Lenny Jacobson, Briana, Taffy Brodesser, AFTRA, Drescher, you’ve, Blockbuster hadn’t Organizations: New, New York CNN, SAG, Gabbana’s, Moda, Guild of America, “, WGA, Dolce, Blockbuster, Alliance, Motion Pictures, Television Producers, Apple, CBS, Disney, NBC Universal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony, CNN, Warner Bros, Discovery Locations: New York, Italy, LA

☆ As Strike Continues, Writers Turn Focus to Ryan Murphy’s Productions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Matt Stevens | More About Matt Stevens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He is among the high-profile showrunners who have donated during the strike to the Entertainment Community Fund, which provides grants to those working in film, TV and other disciplines. Disney owns the FX cable channel, which is home to his “American Horror Story” franchise, which began airing in 2011. “We’re not here in protest of Ryan Murphy, the guy, we’re here in protest of production happening without writers and while writers are on strike,” said Josh Gondelman, a member of WGA-East’s leadership, who was out picketing on Thursday. The Writers Guild had summoned its members to a so-called Horror/Fantasy Theme Day in Queens as the writers’ strike entered its third month. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of Hollywood companies, has said that its contract offer includes “generous increases in compensation for writers.”

Persons: Murphy, “ We’re, Ryan Murphy, ”, Josh Gondelman, ’ Organizations: Entertainment Community Fund, Walt Disney Company, Netflix, Disney, FX, WGA, Hollywood, Alliance, Television Producers Locations: Queens

☆ The fear driving Hollywood writers to strike — and soon, maybe actors too — is the same one roiling every industry: Robots are coming for our jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Hollywood writers are entering their third month on strike. Film and TV writers say they're among those who have fared the worst as their industry has been remade, even as others reap the rewards. Either way, the bottom line is this: Everyone in Hollywood is afraid that the robots are coming for their jobs, Terminator-style. Now, they're some of the dominant forces controlling new content development in the entertainment industry. Recently, I reported on how the Hollywood writers' strike is dispiriting industry hopefuls at the outset of their careers — you can read it here.

Persons: Everything's, Adam Conover, Ted Sarandos, Bob Iger, Goldman Sachs, You've, We've, Jonathan Handel, Puck, they'll, Zayd Dohrn, —, Dohrn, Reed Alexander Organizations: Morning, NBC, Nickelodeon, Disney, Hollywood, Netflix, Wall, ., Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, WGA, Apple, Big Tech, Northwestern University Locations: Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and New York, Chicago

☆ How A.I. took center stage in the Hollywood writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Kate Sammer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The implementation of generative AI could mean sweeping changes for the entertainment industry. Advocates for AI technology see it as a tool that will uplift content creators and break down the barriers to entry. "And you don't have to have any sort of skills as a visual effects artist or as someone in the entertainment industry." Since the last writers' strike in 2007, widespread consumer adoption of video streaming has exemplified how novel technologies can upheave the entertainment industry. Discovery , losing billions and billions and billions of dollars a year."

Persons: Justine Bateman, Caleb Ward, Dan Rayburn, —, Rayburn Organizations: Guild of America, Netflix, — Disney, Warner Bros, Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Hollywood

☆ Hollywood actors extend contract talks, temporarily averting strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, June 30 (Reuters) - Hollywood's actors union and major Hollywood studios agreed on Friday to keep negotiating through mid-July, staving off the immediate threat of a second labor strike in the entertainment business this summer. SAG-AFTRA voted in early June to give its leaders the authority to call a work stoppage if talks were to break down. Negotiations were taking place during a difficult time for Hollywood studios. The studios and the WGA have not held talks since the writers' strike began on May 2. The last writers' strike in 2007 and 2008 cost the California economy an estimated $2.1 billion.

Persons: staving, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, AFTRA, Lisa Richwine, Hanna Rantala, Sarah Mills, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien, Cynthia Osterman, Simon Cameron, Moore, William Mallard Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Hollywood, California, Los Angeles, London

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