Unprecedented Strike Grips Hollywood: Major Productions in Limbo
Hollywood is currently in the grip of an escalating unrest related to artificial intelligence (AI). Paving the way to their future, renowned actors and cinema artists have engaged in a significant strike. This action is being conducted under the leadership of the Screen Actors Guild, an organization boasting nearly 1.6 lakh cinema artists as members. The strike kicked off at midnight on Thursday, according to Indian Standard Time. This marks the first event of such magnitude in Hollywood since 1960.
The Screen Actors Guild decided to strike in response to diminishing pay scales due to the rise of OTT platforms, and the looming threat of AI encroachment. Negotiations with studios and OTT platforms were reportedly unsuccessful, according to Duncan Cabree Ireland from the union who participated in the discussions.
Over the past two weeks, local screenplay writers have been picketing. Recently, actors have also joined the protests. Notable Hollywood figures such as Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence have openly shown their support for the striking artists. Renowned director Christopher Nolan recently garnered attention for encouraging actors to boycott his 'Oppenheimer' movie premiere event.
The Screen Actors Guild stated in its announcement, "Since the arrival of OTT platforms, our compensation has significantly declined. Now, with the rise of artificial intelligence, there's an imminent threat to the existence of creative-based roles." The Guild argued that OTT platforms are determining the remuneration of stars and other artists for content on their platforms, without any correlation to audience acceptance.
On the other hand, major studios argue that AI in the cinema industry needs to be embraced. As a result, a majority of artists have engaged in the strike, bringing Hollywood to a standstill. Industry insiders warn that many major films ready for release may be indefinitely postponed due to this unprecedented situation.
