Is it the end of cinema?

by Pauline Bunay

Almost a month after the agreements were signed to end the strike of actors and scriptwriters, these agreements have been overturned, bringing back the strike while the union of actors and scriptwriters accuses the production studios of using intimidation tactics during the negotiation of agreements. 

After 148 days of strike which ended on Sept. 27, and the signing of mutual agreements between the actors’ union and the production companies, the strike is back and for a long time. 

According to conversations within the industry, the agreements are no longer moving in a productive direction since the demands of both actors and production houses seem to go in opposite directions, making it impossible to reach an agreement, therefore it is said that the strike may continue until May 2026, collapsing multiple Hollywood productions. 

“The studios refuse to negotiate and do not understand the conditions in which the industry is in other issues, such as artificial intelligence,” said Fran Drescher, the President of the Actor’s Union. 

One of the demands of the production companies to close the agreements is to have the actors sign an agreement in which they give full authorization for their image to be used digitally with artificial intelligence from the first day of filming. 

“Studios refuse to protect artists from being replaced by artificial intelligence,” Drescher said. “They refuse to increase their salaries to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a small part of the income their work generates for them.”

Besides being worried about their image being used with artificial intelligence, actors also accused the studios of using intimidation tactics during the agreements by publishing misleading information trying to get union members to abandon their fight.

Depending on the estimated time that will be required for the strike to end, this will bring serious consequences to the world of entertainment, possibly being the end of many good productions that can be put on pause or simply cancel their creation due to the strikes. 

Someday the agreements will finally come to an end and the production companies will reach fair agreements with the union at time, as maybe the effects on the world of cinema could get worse than they already have with network platforms intervention in cinema and new technologies replacing human actors.