Inside Story: Studios Push Actors to Max Limits with 24/7 Work Amid Looming Strike Deadline

Hollywood studios are requesting actors to work continuously as the SAG-AFTRA strike deadline approaches. Discussions about a potential actor strike commenced in early June, as SAG-AFTRA actors initiated contract negotiations with major Hollywood studios. Subsequently, the union established an initial deadline for negotiations on June 30, which was extended by 12 days. The new deadline has been rescheduled to July 12, at midnight, and if an agreement is not reached, a strike is highly probable.

As stated by Slash Film, actors are currently being tasked with working tirelessly to complete their assignments prior to the strike deadline on July 12. Moreover, studios and production teams are sending actors emails to inform them about the likelihood of "industrial action."

Why Studios Are Pushing Actors So Hard

This potential strike is causing significant concern among studios, which is not surprising given recent industry news. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been engaged in a prolonged strike, focusing on negotiating fair wages, residual payments, and the implementation of AI in contracts. Since the start of the WGA strike on May 2, several TV shows and movies have been forced to halt production.

Studios are now in a state of panic, demonstrated by their overwhelming demand for tireless work from their actors. Unfortunately, there seems to be no end in sight for the WGA strike, as the writers and studios have been unable to reach an agreement. If the actors were to join the writers on the picket lines, it would result in a complete shutdown of the industry until negotiations are successfully concluded. This would be an unprecedented situation for Hollywood, as the last double-strike occurred back in 1960.

Studios are taking additional measures to address the impact of the actors strike, apart from pressuring actors to work faster. Hollywood studios have recently reached out to the federal government to intervene and mediate the SAG-AFTRA strike. While SAG-AFTRA has agreed to participate in the mediation, they have not yet extended the strike deadline. As a result, the studios are currently in a state of panic and are expected to make significant concessions in order to resolve the situation.