UPDATED: SAG-AFTRA has agreed to bring in federal mediation to break the deadlock in contract talks with the studios and streamers one day before the Guild’s current agreement expires.
However the Guild said on Tuesday afternoon it did not intend to further extend contract negotiations, which are scheduled to expire at midnight Pacific Time on Wednesday (July 12).
“The AMPTP [studio negotiator Alliance Of Motion Picture And Television Producers] has abused our trust and damaged the respect we have for them in this process,” the Guild said. “We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to engineer an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal.”
The development comes as Hollywood agency and studio heads have been scrambling in last-gasp calls to SAG-AFTRA leadership in the hopes of preventing an actors strike.
According to reports the heads of Endeavor and CAA – Ari Emanuel and Bryan Lourd – offered to help find a resolution in a bid to avert Hollywood’s first double strike in more than 60 years. The Writers Guild Of America (WGA) went on strike on May 2 and industrial action is in its 11th week.
AMPTP previously called for federal meditators to step in and the measure was discussed on Monday in a call between SAG-AFTRA leadership, Warner Bros Discovery head David Zaslav, Disney executives Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.
In a statement to Screen on Wednesday Greg D. Raelson, director of congressional and public affairs at Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, said, ”FMCS has been monitoring the situation for some time and has been in contact with both the employer and the union. As with many national-impact collective bargaining conflicts, a highly qualified, senior mediator has been requested and dispatched to provide mediation services. The mediator will be present at today’s negotiations… FMCS remains prepared and committed to helping both parties constructively resolve their dispute.”
Hollywood and the entire global film community is on tenterhooks as talks go down to the wire. The parties are believed to be far apart on matters such as increased compensation, streaming residuals, and artificial intelligence.
With negotiations entering the final phase and livelihoods at stake, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Dreschler did her image no favours when she attended a high fashion event in Puglia, Italy, over the weekend, drawing the ire of many in Hollywood.
The WGA strike has already forced features and in particular television shows to pause. A SAG-AFTRA strike would essentially bring Hollywood production to a grinding halt, although SAG-AFTRA has been preparing waivers to allow truly independent productions to go ahead even in the event of a strike.
This year’s Comic-Con in San Diego (July 20-23) is already disrupted due to the planned no-show by a number of major studios and there are growing fears that the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles may be pushed back from its current September 18 slot.
On Monday SAG-AFTRA held a Zoom call with leading Hollywood personal publicists in which it outlined the protocols that would kick in were the Guild to call a strike.
Guild leadership made it clear that as far as they were concerned no acting talent can promote upcoming film and TV by struck companies. Screen understands red carpets, interviews, and even interviews for production notes and electronic press kits are forbidden.
That puts studio premieres and promotional efforts in the crosshairs.
Universal hosted a premiere of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in Paris at the Grand Rex on Tuesday night when Nolan was joined by Cillian Murphy and cast members Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, and Jason Clarke.
The London premiere takes place on Thursday and the studio has set a New York premiere believed to be on July 17 ahead of the July 21 release. At time of writing Screen understands Universal planned to proceed with the events and was monitoring the SAG-AFTRA talks closely.
Warner Bros/Mattel got out early on the Barbie world tour, with Margot Robbie appearing for fans in locales such as Sydney and Seoul before joining co-star Ryan Gosling for the world premiere in Los Angeles last weekend. The film also opens on July 21.
Tom Cruise, director and co-writer Christopher McQuarrie and cast have attended premieres and events in support of Paramount/Skydance’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One. The tentpole has begun its international roll out and opens in North America on Wednesday.
On Wednesday WGA members will picket Amazon Studios’ Culver City headquarters in Los Angeles in an event the Guild has called Amazon Crime Day, punning on the Amazon Prime Day sales taking place over July 11 and 12.
In a message to members the Guild said, “We are seeking reasonable protections that will guarantee that writing remains a sustainable career for current and future writers. For Amazon, the cost of our proposals is just $32 million per year, 0.006% of the conglomerate’s annual revenue.”
*This article was changed on July 12 to include a statement from FMCS and reflect that the London premiere of ’Oppenheimer’ took place on Wednesday July 12 and was not scheduled for July 13 as previously reported.
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