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☆ Hollywood Writers and Studios to Restart Talks After 3-Month Standoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The major entertainment studios and thousands of striking writers have agreed to meet to restart talks after a three-month standoff, according to the writers guild. The union, the Writers Guild of America, told screenwriters in an email Tuesday night that Carol Lombardini, the studio negotiator, asked for “a meeting this Friday to discuss negotiations.”The guild said it would not comment further. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the organization that bargains on behalf of the studios, also declined to comment. The meeting represents the first sign of movement in a stalemate that began in early May after negotiations between the writers and studios fell apart.

Persons: Carol Lombardini Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers

☆ Striking Hollywood writers to hold first talks with studios in three months
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Netflix, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 31, 2023. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniAug 2 (Reuters) - Hollywood's striking writers and major studios have agreed to hold talks on Friday for the first time since their strike began over higher pay demands in May, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) said on Tuesday. An AMPTP spokesperson told Reuters that the alliance was committed to finding a mutually beneficial deal, without giving further details. Hollywood actors joined the writers on picket lines in July as they also demanded higher streaming-era pay and curbs on the use of artificial intelligence. The entertainment website Deadline reported on Tuesday that the WGA and the studios were on the verge of making a breakthrough in talks.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, We'll, Walt Disney, Gokul Pisharody, Bharat Govind Gautam, Robert Birsel Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Netflix, REUTERS, Alliance, Television Producers, WGA, Reuters, Walt, Warner Bros Discovery, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ At striking actors' hangout bar, tiny residual checks no longer a joke
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Back in the late '90s, it used to be kind of a rarity to get a tiny residual check," actor John O'Brien said. In today's streaming-TV era, small residual checks have become so customary that they helped push the SAG-AFTRA actors union to go on strike in mid-July, joining film and television writers, who walked off the job in May, in part over residual payments. O'Brien, who has appeared on dozens of shows, from "Grey's Anatomy" to "Pretty Little Liars," shared images of residual checks from more than two decades ago worth $47.49, $87.77 and $216.25. For working class actors who were not the famous, highly paid stars, the residual checks were vital to helping them pay their bills. Lower residual payments mean fewer actors earn the $26,470 per year needed to qualify for SAG-AFTRA's health insurance coverage, said actor Michael Spellman.

Persons: John O'Brien, you'd, It's, O'Brien, Michael Spellman, Walt Disney, Arabella Field, Mike Blake, bartenders, Walt, Justin Bieber, Kirk Dinsmore, you've, Dinsmore, Spellman, We're, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: CITY, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Netflix, Studio City, REUTERS, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros, Walt Disney, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Thomson Locations: CITY , California, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, U.S

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

☆ 10 ways artificial intelligence is changing the workplace, from writing performance reviews to making the 4-day workweek possible
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Here are 10 ways AI tools such as ChatGPT have entered the workplace — and what may come out of it. Nick Patrick, the owner of the music-production company Primal Sounds Productions, told Insider he used ChatGPT to fine-tune legal contracts for clients. "You really got to find time to, like, learn this skill," Nigam previously told Insider. Companies are using AI to write their performance reviewsManagers may find writing performance reviews for their employees a tough task. He told Insider: "Any technology that increases productivity, ChatGPT included, makes a shorter workweek more feasible."

Persons: OpenAI, Nick Patrick, Shannon Ahern, hadn't, Jensen Huang, Huang, Akash Nigam, Nigam, Neil Taylor, ChatGPT, Taylor, Insider's Beatrice Nolan, Nolan, would've, Jasmine Cheng, Cheng, WorkLife, Carl Benedikt Frey, Michael Chu, iHeartMedia, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Suumit Shah, chatbot, Anu Madgavkar, Richard Baldwin, Fran Drescher, Jezebel — Organizations: Morning, IBM, Workers, Primal Sounds Productions, Google, Twitter, Companies, Employers, Nvidia, ChatGPT, Sky News, Hulu, Spotify, Mobile, Oracle, Columbia Business School, McKinsey Global Institute, Apple, JPMorgan, Northrop Grumman, AIs, Writers Guild of America, SAG, Journalists, GMG Union of, Media Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Oxford

☆ Netflix is offering up to $900,000 for an AI-focused role as actors continue to strike over the 'existential threat' posed by the technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

As the actors' and writers' strikes continue to bite, Netflix is recruiting AI talent. The rise of new AI-powered technologies is one of the central issues driving the actor's strike. As the actors' and writers' strikes continue to grip the film industry, one major streaming platform is focusing on AI and machine learning for a key role. The rise of new AI-powered technologies is one of the key issues driving the actor's strike. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the national executive director and chief negotiator of the actors union SAG-AFTRA, has called the rise of generative AI an "existential threat" to actors' livelihoods.

Persons: Duncan Crabtree Organizations: Netflix, Morning, SAG, Writers Guild of America Locations: Ireland

☆ NBCUniversal is slapped with a $250 fine for trimming trees along an LA sidewalk that had shaded actors and writers on strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NBCUniversal was fined $250 after trimming trees that helped shade picketing writers and actors. NBCUniversal has been given a slap on the wrist for trimming trees that provided shade to writers and actors picketing outside its offices in Los Angeles. Mejia had said last week that his office was investigating the tree trimming coinciding with workers' picketing. In a statement, NBC said the tree trimming was routine. "We understand that the safety tree trimming of the Ficus trees we did on Barham Blvd.

Persons: NBCUniversal, Kenneth Mejia, Mejia Organizations: Bureau of Street Services, WGA, SAG, Morning, StreetsLA, of Street Services, Universal Studios, NBC, Writers Guild of America, Comcast Locations: Angeles, Los Angeles

☆ The Hollywood strikes could cost the economy billions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Hollywood writers and actors have been on strike for over a week. Economists are warning that the shutdown could cost the US billions of dollars. The previous writers' strike in 2007 wiped $2 billion off Los Angeles' economy alone. Major films alone contribute around $250,000 to the US economy each day of production, according to data from the Motion Picture Association. New seasons of "The Last of Us", "Euphoria", and "The White Lotus" have already been delayed as a result of the strikes.

Persons: Milken, Kevin Klowden, It's, Ted Lasso, Jason Sudeikis, Oscar, Susan Sarandon, Olivia Wilde Organizations: Service, Milken Institute's, Yahoo Finance, Motion, Association, The, Guild of America, SAG Locations: Angeles, Wall, Silicon, Los Angeles, California, LA, New York, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Pittsburgh

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger called Hollywood strikers 'not realistic.' His critics are calling his $27 million pay package unrealistic.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently called strikers' expectations "not realistic," quickly drawing criticism. Iger could make over $27 million this year, 535 times the median pay of his employees. An average CEO in 1978 made around 31 times what their average worker made, according to the Economic Policy Institute. In 2020, the average CEO made 346 times what their average worker made. At Disney, the median worker pay is $54,256, according to the company's latest proxy statement.

Persons: Bob Iger, Sean Gunn, Fran Drescher, Iger, Gunn, Drescher, Sen, Bernie Sanders, he'd, Variety, David Zaslav, Reed Hastings, Brian Roberts Organizations: Disney, SAG, Morning, Hollywood, CNBC, Sun Valley Conference, Writers Guild of America, Guardians, Economic, Warner Bros, Netflix, Comcast Locations: Idaho, Los Angeles

☆ They don’t act or write, but the Hollywood strikes are putting them out of work
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Natasha Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Elyea, and other small business owners have told CNN about the various ways they’re getting through the dry spell: cutting hours, laying off staff, or temporarily closing their doors. And you know, don’t be buying cars having to make big car payments, and don’t be making big plans with money you don’t have,” she told them. “I know I can get through it, but it takes years to recover,” Levelle told CNN in early July. Natalia Lopez told CNN in June that without her $20.74 per hour wage, she had shifted her grocery list to just basics, like rice and beans. Cendejas told CNN the studios should recognize the people essential at every level to get the work done.

Persons: Los Angeles CNN —, Milken, Remy De La Mora, Patrick Gallagher, Oppenheimer, Pam, Pam Elyea, she’s, ” Elyea, don’t, Pam Elyea Elyea, She’s, “, Elyea’s, Corri Levelle, Sandy Rose Floral, Natasha Chen, CNN Corri Levelle, ” Levelle, ”, Natalia Lopez, Lopez, Yolanda Cendejas, Cendejas, ” Yolanda Cendejas, CNN Cendejas, ” Cendejas, Chester Massetti, Victor Jr’s, you’re, ” Massetti, Massetti, Rosie Blosser, ” Blosser, Blosser Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, SAG, Global, Hire, CNN, WGA, Sandy, SEIU United Service Workers, SEIU, Sony Studios, Amazon Studios, Paramount Studios, Culver City, Warner Bros, Washington, Apple, Warner Bros . Locations: North Hollywood, Los Angeles, Culver City, Culver, Burbank , CA

☆ With Hollywood on Strike, a Bright Spot in New York’s Economy Goes Dark
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Stefanos Chen | More About Stefanos Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By day, Ryan Quinlan handles the desk lamps, sconces and chandeliers that appear in films and television shows. At night, he rents out props from his Brooklyn warehouse, like an Egyptian sarcophagus and a taxidermy leopard. It joined the screenwriters union, the Writers Guild of America, which has been on strike since May. “This shut down all of my streams of income,” Mr. Quinlan, 44, said. But it’s not just actors and writers who are out of work.

Persons: Ryan Quinlan, Mr, Quinlan, it’s Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, Writers Guild of America Locations: Brooklyn, New York, Los Angeles, United States

☆ The Message Is in the Merch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Jessica Roy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Neil Gaiman had worn some version of a black T-shirt nearly every day for the past 36 years. Then, on a balmy Tuesday in May, he decided to make an important wardrobe change. Across New York and Los Angeles, T-shirts advertising support for creative workers’ labor unions are nearly everywhere you look. When SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, decided on its own strike last week, the dispute took on new proportions. As the demonstrations head into a 13th week, a pressing need has arisen: clean T-shirts.

Persons: Neil Gaiman, I’m, ” Mr, Gaiman, “, ” Organizations: Guild of America, Hollywood, SAG Locations: New York, Los Angeles

☆ Some actors and celebrities say the popularity of AI deepfakes could be good for their careers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Jamie Yeo, an actor and model, is one of several celebrities embracing the rise of AI deepfakes. The rise of generative AI is one of the central concerns driving the actors' strike. Meanwhile, the rise of generative AI is one of the central concerns driving the actor's strike, which has gripped Hollywood in recent weeks. It is the first simultaneous strike by actors and writers in more than 60 years. "This disruption is going to kill the industry," one worker told Insider in May.

Persons: Jamie Yeo, Yeo, Robert Pattinson deepfakes, Duncan Crabtree Organizations: BBC, Morning, DJ, BBC News, Hollywood, SAG, Writers Guild of America Locations: Singapore, Ireland

☆ Simon Pegg and Brian Cox support Hollywood strike at London rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Sarah Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Actors Brian Cox, Jim Carter, Imelda Staunton, Andy Serkis and Simon Pegg join demonstrators at the Equity rally in Leicester Square, in solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA strikes, London, Britain, July 21, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie AdamsLONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - "Mission Impossible" star Simon Pegg and Brian Cox from "Succession" joined a rally in London on Friday in support of U.S film and television writers and actors striking for higher pay and new terms in the streaming era. Actors union SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America want increases in base pay and residuals, plus assurances they will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). British actors' union Equity organised the rally in Leicester Square, where movie theatres hosted UK premieres including "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" last week. David Oyelowo, Andy Serkis, Imelda Staunton, Naomie Harris and Hayley Atwell also joined Friday's rally, where supporters held placards saying "Equity stands in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA".

Persons: Brian Cox, Jim Carter, Imelda Staunton, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Adams, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Paul Fleming, David Oyelowo, Naomie Harris, Hayley Atwell, Rob Delaney, we're, Cox, Paul Sandle, Farouq Suleiman, Sharon Singleton, John Stonestreet Organizations: Equity, SAG, REUTERS, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Leicester Square, London, Britain, U.S

☆ Why Hollywood actors and writers are on strike and how the WGA and SAG-AFTRA walkouts are changing the entertainment industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The Hollywood writers' strike got a boost when actors joined the picket lines in July. Together, the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have upended development and promotion of new content. Read more about the issues and demands driving the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes:When will the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes end? Some are predicting that the writers' strike appears to be on course to outlast the previous the 100-day WGA strike of 2007-8, which cost the California economy roughly $2 billion. Read more about how Hollywood companies prepared for the strikes:Getting a job in Hollywood right now: Is anyone still hiring?

Persons: AFTRA, Oppenheimer, Abbott, Fran Drescher, it's, Read, Adam Conover, Ted Sarandos, David Zaslav, picketers, showdowns, Hollywood's, Reed Alexander, Lucia Moses Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, WGA, Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, Netflix, Warner Bros, Discovery, Employees, Wall, Big Tech Locations: Los Angeles and New York City, California, Hollywood

New York CNN —A strike vote Thursday by the union representing 1,500 stagehands and other backstage workers could shut down Broadway shows as soon as Friday, according to the union. “This strike vote will send a strong message that we will not accept substandard contracts that fail to acknowledge our workers’ contributions,” said Mathew Loeb, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). The strike would be a blow to the New York City economy, which is still suffering from the shift from in-office work to people working from home. Tourism is a major driver of the city’s economy and Broadway a significant magnet for those tourists. The Broadway League reported that in the season that concluded in May, the first full season since Broadway shows were disrupted by the pandemic, theaters reached a total attendance of 12.3 million and grossed $1.6 billion in ticket sales.

Persons: ”, Mathew Loeb Organizations: New, New York CNN, International Alliance, Broadway League, Disney, SAG, Writers Guild of America, Tourism, Broadway Locations: New York, New York City

☆ This exclusive chart reveals why the groundswell of buzz around 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' could help reverse Hollywood's box-office doldrums in spite of the actors' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This year, a number of films have flopped at the box office, including "Elemental" and "The Flash." A social-media analysis from Diesel Labs points to possible success for "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" — here's why. Temperatures are rising all around the world, with one notable exception: the box office, where this year's film openings have mostly been, at best, lukewarm. Social-media attention on forthcoming and recent film releases looks to be generally trending higher for titles like "Barbie," "Oppenheimer," and "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Pt. This story has been updated to reflect new box office estimates and an estimate of how many moviegoers will see "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" on the same day.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Mario Bros, tentpole, Indiana Jones, —, Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, Michael O'Leary, David A . Gross, Tom Cruise's, Gross, Screenrant, Ruby Gillman, Mario, America's, Christopher Nolan's, Greta Gerwig's, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, Reed Alexander Organizations: Diesel Labs, SAG, Writers Guild of America, www.diesellabs.com Diesel Labs, National Association of Theatre Owners, Warner Bros, Rotten, Entertainment Research, Variety, Disney, Mario Bros, Writers Guild, Wednesday, London Locations: Hollywood, North America

☆ Broadway union reaches tentative deal with management, averting strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Daniel Arkin | Diana Dasrath | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The union representing some 1,500 Broadway workers reached a tentative deal Thursday with theater industry management, averting a strike that would have closed the curtains on theatrical productions in New York as well as touring shows across the country. The deal was announced jointly by the union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and two organizations representing management: the Broadway League, the industry's trade group, and Disney Theatrical, a division of the media conglomerate. IATSE had been conducting a strike vote when negotiators agreed to a tentative deal. The agreement still needs to be formally ratified by IATSE members, a body that includes stagehands and other backstage employees. "The respective parties will inform their members of the details of this agreement in the coming days," the union and management groups said in a joint statement.

Persons: IATSE, Hamilton, Sweeney Todd, King, Matthew D, Loeb, America's Organizations: Behind Entertainment, NYC, International Alliance, Broadway League, Disney, IATSE, Broadway, North, Walt Disney Studios, Writers Guild of America, SAG Locations: Flatiron, Manhattan , New York City, New York, New York City, North America

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ New data reveals why the groundswell of buzz around 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' could help reverse Hollywood's box-office doldrums in spite of the actors' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This year, a number of films have flopped at the box office, including "Elemental" and "The Flash." A social-media analysis from Diesel Labs points to possible success for "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" — here's why. Temperatures are rising all around the world, with one notable exception: the box office, where this year's film openings have mostly been, at best, lukewarm. Social-media attention on forthcoming and recent film releases looks to be generally trending higher for titles like "Barbie," "Oppenheimer," and "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Pt. Diesel Labs’ data has found that social-media buzz about the forthcoming launches of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” is trending ahead of last year’s benchmark levels.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Mario Bros, tentpole, Indiana Jones, —, Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, David A . Gross, Tom Cruise's, Gross, Screenrant, Ruby Gillman, Mario, America's, Christopher Nolan's, Greta Gerwig's, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, Reed Alexander Organizations: Diesel Labs, SAG, Writers Guild of America, www.diesellabs.com Diesel Labs, Warner Bros, Rotten, Entertainment Research, Variety, Disney, Mario Bros, Writers Guild, Hollywood Locations: Hollywood, London

☆ LA officials are investigating NBC Universal for trimming trees that provided shade to striking writers and actors
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A row of trimmed trees has become a new flash point in the Hollywood writers' and actors' strike. NBC Universal cut back the trees that had provided shade to picketers outside its Los Angeles site. A Los Angeles official is investigating why NBC Universal trimmed shade-providing trees outside a site being picketed as part of the Hollywood actors' and writers' strike. In an apparent reaction to the furore, LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia, who has strong progressive leanings, tweeted that he would be investigating. "The trimmed trees are LA City managed street trees," he wrote on Tuesday, posting before-and-after images of the trees.

Persons: he's, Chris Stevens, Kenneth Mejia, Nicholas Slayton Organizations: Hollywood, NBC Universal, Los Angeles, NBC, Writers Guild of America, SAG, LA Times, WGA, LA City, — LA City, Department, Public Works, of Street Services, National Labor Relations Board Locations: Los Angeles, 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

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