As studio heads blame each other over strikes, AMC cuts deal to keep filming shows

It’s been over 100 days since Hollywood writers went on strike, demanding better pay, more job security and guardrails on the use of AI. Meanwhile, Hollywood actors have now been on strike for over 50 days, more or less bringing the entertainment industry to a standstill. We’re still getting new movies and TV shows, but only because the studios had them in the bank. After the strikes are over, a lull period is now inevitable.

And unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an end to the strikes in sight. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) made an offer to the writers guild in August, but the writers rejected it, saying it was “neither nothing, nor nearly enough.” The writers guild made a counteroffer a few days later, but the AMPTP has yet to respond to it. According to Deadline, there haven’t been any meetings since then, although there was a meeting between some of the major Hollywood CEOs to see if they can get their sh*t straight.

By the sound of it, those CEOs are at a bit of a loss as to what to do. There’s a lot of finger pointing. “They’re paralyzed, even as the clock is ticking, and it’s Ted’s fault, Iger’s fault, even Tony Vinciquerra’s fault, depending on who you ask,” one source said, naming Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Disney CEO Bob Iger and the CEO of Sony Pictures. “It’s not helping the situation, or anyone.”

“Thin-skinned” Bob Iger and David Zaslav “stunned” that they’ve been painted as villains

According to one source, Iger and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav are particularly “thin-skinned” and are “stunned” that they have been vilified by the guilds and their members over the past few months. This is despite the fact that these men are raking in hundreds of millions of dollars while writers on major shows have to drive for Lyft to make ends meet.

It’s basically a roomful of people like this trying to understand why people need money to live:

So yeah, we could be here for a while, especially since these guys are so used to fighting against each other. They find it very hard to put aside their differences and come to a consensus, especially when that consensus involves treating their employees well. “These guys are worried about what comes next, after the strike,” said another source. “Remember, they’re competitors, they’re always thinking about how to best each other. The strikes don’t change that.”

AMC cuts deal with actors guild to keep filming Interview With The Vampire, Walking Dead spinoffs

Meanwhile, some studios are cutting deals with the striking workers to keep filming despite the strikes. For instance, The A.V. Club reports that AMC came to an agreement with the actors guild to keep filming the second season of Interview With The Vampire as well as The Walking Dead spinoffs Daryl Dixon and The Ones Who Live, which sees the return of Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira).

We don’t know the details of the agreement, although it should be noted that AMC is not a member of the AMPTP. These kinds of exemptions have been controversial among some union members, but others see them as part of the point: the unions will grant permission to film if certain studios meet their terms, which will show the AMPTP the way out of this situation, no matter how badly they don’t want to accept it.

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