Striking actors reach tentative agreement with Hollywood studios to end strike

SAG-AFTRA actors' union reached tentative agreement with Hollywood studios to resolve 2nd strike, allowing full production to resume. Actors demanded higher pay, share of streaming revenue & protection from AI-generated "digital replicas". Deal must be ratified by union members in coming weeks. Strikes cost CA $6B in lost output, impacted TV & movie releases.

The SAG-AFTRA actors' union reached a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios to resolve the second of two strikes that rocked the entertainment industry as workers demanded higher pay in the streaming TV era, the union said on November 8.

Members of SAG-AFTRA walked off the job in mid-July asking for an increase in minimum salaries, a share of streaming service revenue and protection from being replaced by "digital replicas" generated by artificial intelligence (AI).

The union said negotiators had reached a preliminary deal on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney, Netflix and other media companies.

The breakthrough means Hollywood can ramp up to full production for the first time since May, once union members vote to ratify the deal in the coming weeks.

Actors had similar concerns to film and television writers, who argued that compensation for working-class cast members had dwindled as streaming took hold, making it hard to earn a living wage in cities such as Los Angeles and New York. TV series on streaming did not offer the same residual payments that actors enjoyed during the heyday of broadcast TV.

Performers also became alarmed by recent advances in artificial intelligence, which they feared could lead to studios manipulating their likenesses without permission or replacing human actors with digital images.

George Clooney and other A-list stars voiced solidarity with lower-level actors and urged union leadership, including SAG-AFTRA President and "The Nanny" actor Fran Drescher, to reach a resolution.