SAG-AFTRA sits back down with producers

The Future. Yesterday, SAG-AFTRA finally resumed negotiations with the AMPTP, breaking a months-long silence. Given the WGA’s recent agreement, there’s hope for a deal… but if the AMPTP doesn’t budge on some of SAG’s key requests, the silver screen may be dark for a long time.

In the spotlight
During the meeting, some of Hollywood’s biggest players are expected to clash on a few key issues.

• Revenue sharing, the practice of giving a portion of a show’s streaming revenue to the cast, will likely be a major point of contention. SAG has asked for 2%, but the AMPTP has consistently dismissed the idea.
• Protections against AI are also likely to receive attention, as actors are worried about the unauthorized use of their likeness. Here, the AMPTP may be more willing to cede ground, like they did in negotiations with the WGA.

Actors’ AI concerns recently led them to authorize a strike against the video game industry.

One size fits… one
While the WGA’s tentative deal with the AMPTP may be a good omen, there’s a danger that producers will pressure SAG to sign a nearly identical deal and thereby neglect concerns unique to actors. The WGA just released a statement warning against this exact outcome.

If actors don’t reach a deal with producers, LA may be headed for a very long dry season.