Hollywood comes to a halt after 63 years

Hollywood actors in the U.S. have made a historic decision to join the ongoing strike of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which began in May. Starting Friday (local time), actors and writers are uniting in strike action, marking a significant event not witnessed in the past 63 years since 1960 when former President Ronald Reagan led the actors’ union.

On Thursday, Duncan Crabtree-Island, the chief negotiator of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), said in the press in Los Angeles, “Following a unanimous leadership vote, we have decided to commence a strike.” The strike involves approximately 160,000 individuals, encompassing actors, writers, announcers, stunt performers, and staff. CNN's analysis suggests that the resulting strike may lead to a staggering loss of 4 billion dollars by halting the production of most ongoing films and TV programs in Hollywood.

In recent weeks, the SAG has been engaged in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major studios like Netflix and Disney, advocating for a fair distribution of profits from re-screenings and assurances regarding actors' rights in light of advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). A particular point of contention has emerged between actors and producers following the implementation of generative AI technology. Actors have raised concerns about the potential misuse of their likeness or voice in AI-generated content and have called for safeguards in the form of “digital portrait rights.” However, the producers have thus far been resistant to accepting these demands.


neo@donga.com