The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike began on July 14, 2023, and ended on November 9, 2023. This was the second longest writers’ strike, with the longest occurring in 1988.
What Caused The Strike?
One of the main factors that led to the strike was the lack of compensation for screenwriters due to the labor dispute between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Additionally, the strike began to ensure that writer’s jobs would not be lost due to the rise of using AI for scriptwriting.
A culmination of a lack of residual checks, poor procedures and safeguards in place for film and TV crew members led to the strike of film and television productions to plead for improved conditions in regards to the treatment of writer and actor unions.
The Effects Amid the Strike
Since all studios were on strike, no writing occurred during the lengthy period. Thus, almost all productions were halted, and premieres were delayed.
Saturday Night Live went dark, leading to the delay of Pete Davidson’s hosting debut and Foo Fighters as the musical guest for the ninth time, as well as the indefinite cancellations of Jennifer Coolidge and Kieran Culkin’s episodes as hosts.
There’s no denying that summer 2023 was a blockbuster summer, due to the premieres of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”
The co-writer of Barbie, Noah Baumbach, did not attend the premiere to support the union’s movement. During a showing of Oppenheimer, the actors of the film exited halfway through due to the strike for the sake of the writing and actors’ union.
Uzo Aduba was found at a strike outside of Warner Bros Studios. She said:
“It should not be the standard or the status quo that someone has a job, is working and still is unable to make their rent … ”
Uzo Aduba
Effects Since The Strike Occurred
Several premieres were delayed, thus leading to ineligibility for awards at award shows like the Golden Globes and Academy Awards. Films like “Dune: Part Two,” “Priscilla” and “Poor Things” had delayed release dates.
The fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” will be released in 2025, so there will be a three-year gap since the release of the fourth season.
Despite the assumption that Hollywood is the land of perfection, issues such as the strike show how this assumption is simply untrue.
And sure, it may be disappointing that we’ll have to wait longer for the new seasons of our favorite shows. But at the end of the day, what’s more important is knowing that all crew members are compensated sufficiently for their hard work and dedication in all film and television.
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