Hollywood Week: SAG/AFTRA Talks Suspended, Studios Stand with Israel, Box Office

Details: Category: Entertainment News; Published on Saturday, 14 October 2023 12:46; Written by Janet Walker

Members of the SAG/AFTRA unions are back on the picket lines as the Alliance of Movie Pictures and Television Producers suspended talks indefinitely this week citing "the differences" between the studios and unions are "too great."

As both sides attempted to use the media to sway public opinion with representatives from the AMPTP stating the conversations are no longer productive as the differences, and released the following statement, "SAG-AFTRA's current offer included what it characterized as a viewership bonus that, by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year – which would create an untenable economic burden. SAG-AFTRA presented few, if any, moves on the numerous remaining open items." The statement also included bulleted items presented to the SAG/AFTRA union through the negotiation process.

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"The SAG-AFTRA union responded, "The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the WGA — putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators. But, just like the writers, our members are smarter than that and will not be fooled," The Hollywood Reporter reported.

In attendance at the negotiations were the Big Four studio executives, Bob Iger of The Walt Disney Company, David Zaslav, Warner Bros./Discovery, Donna Langley from NBCUniversal, and Ted Sarandos from Netflix, who have taken a very hands-on approach to both the Writer's Guild of America strike negotiations and now the SAG/AFTRA negotiations.

SAG/AFTRA representatives also accused AMPTP of bullying tactics and demanded the negotiations begin again immediately. SAG/AFTRA unions took to the picket lines three months ago, ratifying a call to strike on July 14, 2023.

"This is the part of the movie where the hero gets knocked down and you think they're out," Jason George, a member of the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee, said outside Netflix. "And this is the part where you double down and you come back and win the day," reported Reuters.

No date has been set to restart the negotiations.

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Studios Issue Statements of Support for Israel

As the images of the Hamas led attack on the settlements surrounding the Gaza border filtered out to the world, members of the Hollywood community, embroiled in battle themselves united together to send messages of support for Israel, its citizens and those who are needlessly suffering.

From the United States, the messages are clear, Hamas is a terror organization affiliated with Iran and ISIS, and with a generational hatred has vowed until tomorrow ceases to exist to destroy the people of Israel. The cause, the campaign dedicated unto death, resonates across Middle Eastern nations and the tenant of this hatred was evident throughout the week as Palestine youth filled social media with message of support.

CEO of Endeavor Ari Emmanuel, who spoke this week at a Bloomberg business conferences, was asked his thoughts on the events. He stated, "It's not the same as 9/11, but I had that same feeling," Emanuel said, noting that his grandmother escaped the Bolsheviks. "As a Jew, what happened in Israel this past weekend was one of the worst pogroms in history, not including the Holocaust," reported The Hollywood Reporter.

He also explained Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the leader "morally corrupt" and blaming the root cause of the attack on him.

Statements of condemnation over the actions were sent from Paramount Global, Skydance Media, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger, SAG/AFTRA union, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Eli Roth, Haim Saban, and others including talent management agencies UTA and CAA, and others individual statements from actors, directors, and writers.

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Box Office

Taylor Swift, who brought her global ERAS tour to the box office ruled the day, taking the top spot edging out any newcomers as her concert film rocked box office receipts in a day reminiscent of the summer's Barbenheimer weekend which delivered a shot in the arm to struggling theaters owners.

Taylor Swift/The Eras Tour is expected to rule the theatrical world until Children of the Flower Moon the epic western crime drama, from Goodfellows and The Departed director Martin Scorsese and starring Robert DeNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Lily Gladstone opens in theaters October 20, 2023.

Rounding out the top five films at the box office Halloween favorites The Exorcist: Believer, Saw X, the animated kids' film, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, and the sci-fi film The Creator, starring John David Washington.