This week Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" and Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" will be released in cinemas worldwide. Yet they may be the last two big budget films we will see for a while.
Since last week, around 160,000 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) members, ranging from big stars to background actors, joined indeed forces with the members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA; on strike since May) in a major strike. The strike currently disrupting the industry is the largest shutdown of Hollywood in decades since 1960. Celebrities are actively participating in picket lines at major studios like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and more. Among the other major stars showing support there are also George Clooney, Matt Damon and Susan Sarandon.
The unions are united in their fight for improved terms with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major studios and streaming platforms like Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros Discovery.
Last week, as the strike was being discussed, appearing on CNBC's Squawk Box, Disney chief executive officer Bob Iger called the unions' demands unrealistic and the decision to go on strike disturbing and added that the strike action will have a very damaging effect on the business.
But Fran Drescher, the former star of "The Nanny" and current president of SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood's biggest union, gave a fiery speech when performers finally joined writers in their strike, halting the majority of film and TV production in the US.
In her speech Drescher contemned Hollywood studios, and called "disgusting" the studios' claims of financial losses while generously compensating their CEOs. Drescher emphasized that actors were being marginalized, disrespected, and dishonored due to the changes brought about by streaming and Artificial Intelligence in the entertainment industry.
Drescher highlighted the broader implications of the situation, stating that this struggle reflected a common issue across all labor fields. She accused the studios of prioritizing Wall Street and greed over acknowledging the essential contributions of the labor force that keeps the industry running.
Union president since 2021, Drescher has been consistently vocal about her concerns regarding corporate greed. Her previous social media posts and public statements have reflected her anti-capitalist stance, as she believes that making money should be balanced with ethical values.
In her speech Drescher also mentioned the potential use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in production, another issue that worries members of the union.
The impact of the strikes is being felt at different levels: there is indeed an entire industry revolving around Hollywood and involving all sorts of professionals, from stylists, hair and makeup artists to translators and subtitlers (even though around January this year, the last two categories were already badly hit by the arrival on the scene of AI).
The strike is already having effects on major events: when the strike began last week SAG-AFTRA members were instructed to halt all work related to productions, including red carpets or other events like the Comic-Con, and promoting their work on social media. At the London premiere of Nolan's "Oppenheimer", for example, the cast left during the film to support the strike.
Despite the strike, some activities linked to the fashion and commercial industry will still be allowed for actors. Actors can still engage in fashion campaigns and brand partnerships, but they are prohibited from answering any questions related to TV or film projects. Events for fashion brands, fashion shows, and dinners are still permissible, but media questions will have to steer away from movie or television topics and focus on theater, music, podcasts, or book projects.
Besides, as previously shot promotional materials are embargoed, September magazine covers linked to movies and TV shows will still be published. But, while the strike may hamper the Hollywood image-making machine, talent agencies are striving to secure lucrative deals and creative roles for their clients in the fashion world. Deal-making continues indeed and this could be a good moment for fashion houses to enlist more famous ambassadors as actors may be looking for different revenue avenues and may become more available for commercials and promotions.
There is actually also an Instagram style account @PicketFits that shows the outfits donned on the picket lines, and while that sounds controversial as a picket line is not a runway, in Hollywood it makes sense and could even prove successful for fashion houses.
Fashion conglomerates may use the strike to their advantage and to go even further in strengthening the ties with Hollywood: rumors suggest that François-Henri Pinault, chairman, and CEO of Kering, may take a majority stake in Creative Artists Agency (CAA), representing his wife, Salma Hayek. The deal would offer CAA clients lucrative deals and ambassadorships for Kering’s brands and the potential collaboration could further strengthen the ties between the fashion and Hollywood industries, but, for the time being, official statements about the deal remain elusive.
The Kering luxury group has already firmly established itself in Hollywood through significant sponsorships and initiatives. The group is a major supporter of the Cannes Film Festival, and its Women in Motion program showcases female actors, filmmakers, and producers. Additionally, Kering's brand Gucci has been a longstanding sponsor of the prestigious LACMA Art + Film gala in Los Angeles, while Saint Laurent, another brand under the Kering umbrella, has recently launched a film production subsidiary under the guidance of artistic director Anthony Vaccarello (its debut "Strange Way of Life," directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal, won the attention of the film industry; it is worth noting that all the films produced by Saint Laurent will feature costumes by Vaccarello, which means they will also become an advertising opportunity; guess LVMH will have to find a way to get into the film industry asap to keep up with the neighbours...).
Numerous workers associated with the Hollywood industries, including translators and subtitlers, have fallen prey to the fast and ruthless gig economy. This labor market primarily offers short-term jobs, no benefits and little security.
Actors, too, were once part of the gig economy. In the pre-Depression "Golden Age," influential studio bosses in Hollywood controlled vast entertainment empires, and producers exploited actors. In 1960, the Screen Actors Guild, led by its president Ronald Reagan, went on strike to demand residual payments for TV or film reruns and syndications. After six weeks of negotiation, Reagan secured a $2.65 million settlement, which was used to establish the guild's first health and pension plans. In summary, it took Hollywood workers decades to reach their current status, but unionizing and striking paved the way for improvements and safeguards in their work environment.
So, the prospect of them returning to the gig economy of the "Golden Age" seems unlikely. Yet we will definitely see some changes as actors will explore alternative avenues, from commercials to videos about endorsing beauty products, sharing wardrobe tips, showcasing culinary skills, or engaging in collaborations with companies producing accessories for pets, if they own one. As a consequence, there will be a series of transformations and, while we will see more unscripted shows and content produced in other countries on streaming platforms to fill the gaps caused by the strikes in America, fueled by fresh contributions from actors entering new domains, the fashion industry, may become stronger and more influential.
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