World-renowned actors like Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence are among around 300 a-listers to sign a letter to negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists stating that they are ready to strike if their demands are not met by the deal with Hollywood studios, according to reports.
This adds more turmoil to Hollywood, as many writers have already been on strike for weeks, seeking a new deal.
"This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry, and what might be considered a good deal in any other years is simply not enough," the letter said, according to Rolling Stone. "We feel that our wages, our craft, our creative freedom, and the power of our union have all been undermined in the last decade. We need to reverse those trajectories."
Joining Streep and Lawrence, other celebrities like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ben Stiller, Brendan Fraser, Neil Patrick Harris, Quinta Brunson, Rami Malek, and Amy Schumer have reportedly added their names to the SAG-AFTRA letter, amounting to over 300 A-list actors.
In their letter, the group stated that while "no one wants" a strike because it "brings incredible hardships to so many," they are prepared to do so if they feel it is necessary.
As the June 30 deadline for the TV and theatrical contracts of the actors union approaches, both the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, representing the Hollywood studios, have been engaged in intense negotiations, aiming to reach an agreement swiftly, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The group of writers is calling for substantial changes in minimum pay rates, streaming residuals, exclusivity provisions, self-taped auditions practices, and regulation of artificial intelligence. They want the deal to protect their likenesses and ensure fair compensation when their work is used to train AI.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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