A failure to resolve twin strikes of the writers’ and screen actors’ guilds could lead to “devastating effects” if no deal is reached soon, according to billionaire media mogul Barry Diller.
On July 14, a number of top movie and TV actors joined picket lines alongside screenwriters on the first full day of a walkout that has become Hollywood’s biggest labor fight in decades. It’s the first double-barreled strike by actors and screenwriters in more than six decades.
The two guilds have similar issues with studios and streaming services. They’re concerned about contracts keeping up with inflation and about residual payments, which compensate creators and actors for the use of their material beyond the original airing, such as in reruns or on streaming services. The unions also want to put up guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence mimicking their work on film and television.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents employers including Disney, Netflix, Amazon, and others, has lamented the walkout, saying it’ll hurt thousands of workers in industries that support film and television production.
Mr. Diller, a former Paramount Pictures CEO, said on July 16 that the situation could compound if not resolved quickly.
“These conditions will potentially produce an absolute collapse of an entire industry,” he told CBS News.
“I would call for a September 1 deadline. There’s a strike deadline. I think there should be a settlement deadline, because unless it happens by September 1 … The truth is, this is a huge business both domestically and for world export.
“These conditions will potentially produce an absolute collapse of an entire industry.”
However, a settlement in the near future appears unlikely, he said. There’s “no trust between the parties,” and there are “existential issues” including the rise of AI, which is “overhyped to death,” Mr. Diller said.
“Writers will get assisted, not replaced,” he said. “Most of these actual performing crafts, I don’t think they are in danger of artificial intelligence.”
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