An end to the months-long Sag-Aftra strike is on the horizon as studios have agreed on a tentative deal with the actors’ union. Known as the longest actors strike against the film and TV studios in Hollywood history, the 118-day shutdown will officially end at 12:01 am on Thursday. The announcement came on Wednesday, after the Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers (AMPTP) reached an agreement with the union’s negotiators in a unanimous vote.
Over the last few days, the two sides refined the details of the deal, which includes the first-ever protections for actors against artificial intelligence and a significant pay increase. As part of the new agreement which is said to be valued at over $1 billion, most minimums are set to be raised by 7%, which is 2% higher than that of the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America. Another caveat in the deal speaks of a “streaming participation bonus,” as per an email sent to Sag-Aftra members, as well as increases in pension and health contributions. “We have arrived at a contract that will enable Sag-Aftra members from every category to build sustainable careers,” the union said in the email. “Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.” More details will be released after Friday, when the deal will go to the union’s national board for approval.
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Many Hollywood actors have reacted positively to the announcement, with Kevin E. Wes, one of the negotiators saying there were “tears of exhilaration and joy” in the room after the contract was approved, per Variety. “The final vote was unanimous. That’s a difficult thing to accomplish,” West added. “It’s honestly been a really long two weeks.”
The coming months will tell how this affects the upcoming TV series that have been renewed for new seasons, including The White Lotus, House of Dragons, The Bear, and more.
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