Students Disappointed as WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strike Enters Month Four

On May 2nd, the Writers Guild of America(WGA) officially went on strike. The strike followed weeks of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers(AMPTP) regarding compensation, residuals, streaming services, and artificial intelligence. Hollywood writers formed picket lines outside production studios such as Netflix and HBO. Two months later, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists(SAG-AFTRA) also formally went on strike and joined the WGA on the picket lines in Hollywood and New York. Strike negotiations for both organizations have been unsuccessful because big studio CEOs like Bob Iger believe the striker’s demands are unrealistic. During the strike, SAG-AFTRA and WGA members are not allowed to work for any struck companies or promote at festivals or premiers. The strikes have completely halted production and delayed the release of several highly anticipated projects like Avatar 3, Beetlejuice 2, and Abbott Elementary(Season 3), disappointing many fans, including students at Hillcrest. Nicholas Meekins, a senior at Hillcrest, said he’s “very upset that the strike is delaying season 3 of Abbott Elementary. I hope they can end the strike soon”. But with the WGA strike lasting over 120 days and the SAG-AFTRA strike over 50, it seems unlikely that either strike will end soon.