Talks to end Hollywood actors' strike collapse

LOS ANGELES

Talks between Hollywood actors and studios over an ongoing strike have collapsed, in a blow to hopes for a swift end to a crisis that has crippled the entertainment industry.

Heads of studios such as Disney and Netflix had been meeting regularly since last week with negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), whose members walked off film and TV sets in July.

In a statement late on Oct. 12, the studios said talks would be suspended, describing the gap between the two sides' positions as "too great," with talks "no longer moving us in a productive direction."

Hours later, SAG-AFTRA hit back by accusing the studios of using "bully tactics" and "putting out misleading information" about the negotiations.

Last month the studios struck a deal with Hollywood writers, ending that union's separate stoppage.

Given that deal and overlaps between SAG-AFTRA's demands and those of the writers, optimism had been growing that a bargain with the actors could also be forged soon. That hope has now dimmed, with SAG-AFTRA accusing the studios of not making realistic offers and misrepresenting proposals made during negotiations.

"We have negotiated with them in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began," the actors' union said.

"The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the [writers' union], putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators."

Even with writers now back to work, most film and TV production cannot restart until the demands of SAG-AFTRA are resolved, costing the entertainment industry and its workers millions of dollars each day.

Like the writers, actors have called for improved pay, greater transparency over profits from hit streaming shows, and protections against the use of artificial intelligence. But the studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), now accuse actors of making excessive demands, including wanting a share of revenues from streaming shows that "would cost more than $800 million per year."