The SAG-AFTRA has said it evaluates what the studios and streamers have characterized as their “last best and final offer” as the actor’s strike entered its 114th day. The union dispatched a note to members after a meeting Saturday with an expanded complement of studio CEOs, saying its negotiating committee was reviewing the companies’ offer and urged them to ignore outside conjecture and rumors. After a staff review, the committee will convene on Sunday to discuss the terms, the union added.
The AMPTP (the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) had called the meeting to show off what it believes is its latest counteroffer in an attempt to break the deadlock over critical issues that have led to a nearly three-month work stoppage. The companies have reportedly offered unprecedented wage increases, performance compensation bonuses, and robust protections for using artificial intelligence.
It is also reported that the companies have offered new residual payments that would pay actors for their work on streaming productions rather than only for the original content they are starring in. The AP reports that the companies have also proposed new language in the contract governing the creation of a joint TV/film commission to ensure that the industry continues to thrive.
Sources close to the negotiations told TheWrap that the AMPTP had warned SAG leadership in recent days that if a deal isn’t reached by next week or the second week of November, the studios’ 2024 summer movie slate could be thrown into disarray, and the upcoming TV season would suffer. The sources said the AMPTP was prepared to return to hardball tactics and push for a shorter deal term, which could see talks put on hold until January at the earliest.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, studio heads, including Disney’s Bob Iger, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, and Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, were all in attendance at the meeting. They joined executives from Paramount, Sony, and Apple, meaning all the major legacy studios were represented alongside the tech giants with significant film and TV ambitions.
The AMPTP hasn’t set a deadline for SAG-AFTRA to decide, but it is widely expected that the union will provide a verdict by late Sunday or early Monday. Most Hollywood productions have been shut down since the writers went on strike in May, and SAG actors followed them by walking off the job in July. SAG actors are seeking updated contracts that reflect how their work is now monetized, as well as more significant safeguards against the use of AI technology. The companies have been offering more generous rates than the writers’ agreement to secure a quick resolution to the crisis. The actors’ strike has already cost the industry billions of dollars and halted the release of movies, including Avengers: Infinity War, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Killers of the Flower Moon, and The Rhythm Section.
