The central issue in negotiations is Hollywood writers’ share of pay for shows that stream on Netflix and similar outlets. Late-night talk shows will be first to feel the effects.
Striking writers rally in front of the entrance to the Paramount Pictures studio, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. Television and movie writers launched a strike for the first time in 15 years, as Hollywood girded for a walkout with potentially widespread ramifications in a fight over fair pay in the streaming era.
Streaming services’ use of smaller staffs — known in the industry as “mini rooms” — for shorter stints has made sustained income harder to come by, the guild says. And the number of writers working at guild minimums has gone from about a third to about half in the past decade. Writers of comedy-variety shows for streaming have no minimum protections at all, the guild says.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Hollywood’s studios, streamers and production companies, say their priority is “the long-term health and stability of the industry” and they are dedicated to reaching “a fair and reasonable agreement.”Months of negotiations, primarily over writers’ pay for streaming shows, have still left considerable distance between the AMPTP and writers.
The status of daytime talk shows, which lean more into host chats and interviews, would be less certain. ABC’s “The View” was uninterrupted during the last strike, which began late in 2007 and ended early in 2008.The strike’s impact on scripted series will take far longer to manifest. Even daily soap operas tend to have scripts completed many months in advance. Noticeable effects on the movie release calendar could take even longer.
Many viewers and moviegoers may not notice the effects of a strike until long after it’s over, if at all. The menus on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video will look no different next week, but because this would be the first writers’ strike of the streaming era, there is no template for how they will look months down the line.
Guild strike rules prevent members from striking new deals, making new pitches, or turning in new scripts. They are allowed to accept payment for any writing that’s already been done.
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