On Sunday, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) leadership persisted in their negotiations with major studios. Despite growing optimism within the industry, no deal has been reached as of yet.
The guild presented its latest proposal to the studios on Saturday, and both parties were reportedly engaged in “productive” talks throughout the weekend. While the talks have been making progress in the right direction, it was not anticipated that a deal would be struck on Sunday according to Variety.
One of the key challenges in the negotiations is centered around the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). According to sources, “tough conversations” took place on Sunday as they grapple with this complex issue.
Four major studio CEOs – Ted Sarandos of Netflix, Donna Langley of NBCUniversal, David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery, and Bob Iger of Disney – have expressed concern that time is running out for the 2023-24 TV season. The ongoing strike has already caused the postponement of several blockbuster releases such as Dune 2, Mission Impossible 8 and Snow White, significantly impacting the theatrical calendar.
Last week, these CEOs engaged in two days of talks, and since then, they have been closely monitoring the negotiations. Carol Lombardini, the CEO of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, has been leading the discussions on behalf of the studios.
Megan Fox pokes fun at “Halloween Rule”
On a lighter note, SAG-AFTRA has found itself the subject of humor due to its injunction to members to avoid dressing up as characters from studio films and TV shows, just as Halloween approaches. Saturday Night Live dedicated a sketch to mock this rule, with Sarah Sherman impersonating SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
Actress Megan Fox also playfully challenged this rule by posting an image on Instagram of herself dressed as Gogo Yubari, a character from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Volume 1. Fox and Machine Gun Kelly appeared in their costumes at the Casamigos Halloween Party in Beverly Hills on Friday night. Kelly portrayed Uma Thurman’s Bride character, and Fox tagged the SAG-AFTRA union in her Instagram post, seemingly in jest.
The strike by SAG-AFTRA has been ongoing since July 14, and while negotiations are continuing, the complex issue of AI regulation remains a key point of contention in the talks. The entertainment industry awaits further developments as these negotiations unfold.
For Reel 360 News’ full strike coverage, click here.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
