Disney Movies and Shows Could Come to a Grinding Halt

There’s a lot that goes into a movie before it hits the big screen. Heck, there’s a lot that goes into making a movie before the actors even arrive on set. Each film and television show has hundreds — if not thousands of people — that are all essential to making the final project come together. However, the script and the acting are what the audience hears and sees, so many consider them one of the most important parts. So, what would happen if, all of a sudden, Walt Disney Studios, Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm didn’t have any writers or any actors?

That seems like something that would never happen, but Hollywood may be about to go on pause. Since May 2, thousands of Hollywood writers — all members of the Writers Guild of America — have been on strike. The writers are demanding big changes, as they feel that studios are taking advantage of “mini writers’ rooms” due to the pandemic and the popularity of streaming platforms.

And now it looks like actors might be going on strike next.

Much like Hollywood’s writers, actors aren’t thrilled with how the studios — including Disney — are handling how to pay them for their work on streaming services. SAG-AFTRA is the biggest union for Hollywood actors and, for weeks, they have failed to negotiate new contracts with the studios. The actors want better residuals, as well as a new payment system for when their work appears on a streamer. The two sides can also not come to an agreement when it comes to their healthcare contributions and the use of artificial intelligence in production.

SAG-AFTRA contracts were set to expire a couple of weeks ago, but were extended. However, that extension ends at 11:59 p.m. on July 12. The two sides were supposed to meet for mediation, but that does not appear to have been successful. According to The Hollywood Reporter:

In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday evening, the union said that “We will not be distracted from negotiating in good faith to secure a fair and just deal by the expiration of our agreement.” It added, “We are committed to the negotiating process and will explore and exhaust every possible opportunity to make a deal, however we are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement.”

Tuesday’s statement marks a definite shift in tone from the union about the state of the relationship with the studios and streamers. The declaration is also in line with significant preparations that the union has made in recent days toward a potential strike. On Monday, top SAG-AFTRA leaders met with major PR firms and with hundreds of agents to discuss how a potential strike could play out, and what rules might look like for members. Said one agent who was on the Monday representatives call of SAG-AFTRA leaders’ tone towards a potential strike: “They were not speaking in conditional sentences.”

Should the actors go on strike, most of Hollywood would have to shut down. The writers would not only not appear on set for filming, but they would not do any voice work either. So every film and television show currently filming would have to stop. Should the SAG-AFTRA strike happen, that would put Disney even further behind than it already is.

While studios may not want further delays, but it was inevitable if they were unwilling to negotiate with actors.