SAG-AFTRA and the alliance representing major studios said Saturday they would resume negotiations next week, as the Hollywood actors’ strike reaches the 100-day milestone.
The two sides said in a joint statement they will meet Tuesday at SAG-AFTRA Plaza in Los Angeles with “several executives” from the major studios in attendance.
The meeting will mark the first formal talks between the actors guild and the entertainment companies since discussions broke down Oct. 11. The studios walked away from the table, saying the gap between the sides was too great.
The Assn. of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents firms including Disney, NBCUniversal and Netflix, said in a statement at the time that the union’s proposal for streaming services to share their revenue with actors “would create an untenable economic burden,” costing more than $800 million a year.
But SAG-AFTRA leaders said the amount they are seeking in their revenue-sharing proposal for streamers is about 57 cents per subscriber per year and that studios should share more of the financial success of shows with actors. The streaming business model has made it harder for working actors to make a living, SAG-AFTRA says.
“I’m always saying to them, you could be the heroes in this,” said Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA in an interview with The Times this week. “The eyes of the industry are looking at you. Lean into what is hard but what is right.”
The resumption of talks follows a meeting between SAG-AFTRA leaders and A-list actors including George Clooney. The big-name stars sought to find a way to resolve the strike that has kept thousands of entertainment industry professionals out of work for months.
