On Sunday, October 22nd, the SAG-AFTRA strike reached its 100-day mark, as the union has been on strike since mid July. Negotiations over a new contract for the union broke down days ago, resulting in members hitting the picket lines and a number of Hollywood productions getting shut down in the process. This situation, combined with the since-resolved WGA writers strike, means a number of entertainment workers are out of work, and high-profile projects have had their release dates shifted as well. As the actors seek a new deal, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is opening up about the impact of the strike and the current state of negotiations.
While speaking with Variety at A Sense of Home’s third annual gala, the exec talked about strike's impact on the California economy. The entertainment industry employs a large chunk of the labor force within the state, especially within the city of Los Angeles. So the shutdown isn't only keeping actors from working at this point but also crew members. The businessman named the economic impact as a motivator for wanting to end the strike quickly:
This strike has cost families billions of dollars and communities billions of dollars. It’s 3% of the national economy, 20% of the California economy is affected by this strike. So, we are trying very hard to get this done.
As for the state of negotiations, the AMPTP -- which is the joint negotiating body of the major studios and streamers -- is set to meet with SAG again on Tuesday to further negotiate. After the WGA was able to resolve the contract dispute with the studios, many seemingly believed a swift resolution with the actors was imminent. So there appeared to be much surprise when SAG negotiations broke down earlier this month, and the strike continued into October. According to Ted Sarandos, the studios are determined to end the strike sooner rather than later, and he's feeling good about continued talks this week, saying:
I’m an optimist. I’m an eternal optimist. We’ve been at the table and been receptive and we’re working at this as hard as we can. It’s impacted a lot of people
The impact of the strikes has been more than apparent, and Ted Sarandos' company has been affected like many others. For example, there's the delayed Stranger Things, which now holds a 2025 premiere date for Season 5, and that's surely disappointing for many Netflix subscribers. Originally set to open this weekend, Dune 2 was delayed and now holds a March 2024 release date. Additionally, production on Deadpool 3, Gladiator 2 and Wicked have also all been shut down. The SAG strike also has prevented actors from promoting completed work. Amid the strike, studios have taken box office hits on high budget projects like Blue Beetle and The Creator, which underperformed, arguably due to the lack of promotion by major stars.
We'll have to see what will happen when negotiations resume on Tuesday. It should be noted that there are some independent projects are able to promote their work due to interim agreements, including the Adam Driver-led Ferrari and Sophia Coppola’s buzzy Priscilla. Yet the strike continuing through the end of 2023 could impact the performances of high-profile flicks like Wonka and the awards vehicle The Color Purple, which both hold December 2023 release dates.
Based on these latest statements from Ted Sarandos, both sides seem determined to end the strike soon, hopefully bringing needed economic relief to Hollywood. Only time will tell how this situation ultimately pans out.
