Here's Which TV And Movies Will Be Impacted By The SAG-AFTRA Strike (Hint: A Lot Of Them)

"We had no choice. We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us."

It's happening. The Oppenheimer cast left the London premiere to "write their picket signs." As Christopher Nolan said, "[They left] for what we believe to be an imminent strike by SAG, joining one of my guilds, the Writers Guild, in the struggle for fair wages for working members of the unions, and we support them.”

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SAG-AFTRA then officially called for a strike, the first of its kind since 1980. So, here's what you need to know about what's happening:

What is SAG-AFTRA?

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SAG-AFTRA is the world's largest performer and broadcasters union made up of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. It represents more than 160,000 media artists, including actors, hosts, and broadcast journalists. To be eligible to join, you have to work in a position covered by the "SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement" for either three days as a background actor or one day as a principal or speaking role. 

In short, it covers a lot of media. Like, it's pretty hard to find popular movies that aren't covered. Take a look at last year's SAG Awards list if you want to hammer home just how many big projects are union jobs. 

Why are they striking?

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Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (i.e. major studios like  Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, and Warner Bros.) have broken down over the past few weeks. Major bargaining points include: declines in compensation in the streaming era and the potential for AI to use performers' likenesses without pay.

As Matt Damon put it at the Oppenheimer premiere, "If our leadership is saying that the deal isn't fair, we've got to hold strong until we get a deal that's fair for working actors. It's the difference between having healthcare and not for a lot of actors." 

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a speech, "We had no choice. We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it. Quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things. How they plead our money, that they’re losing money left and right when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is disgusting. Shame on them."

What have the studios said?

"This is the Union's choice, not ours," the AMPTP said in a statement provided to NPR. "Rather than continuing to negotiate, SAG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoods." Disney CEO Bob Iger called SAG-AFTRA's demands "not realistic" and "disturbing."

Wait, isn't there a writers strike?

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Yes, the Writers Guild of America has been striking since May. Some are hoping that the addition of the actors will boost make them a more powerful negotiation team — Scott Moore, the guy who co-wrote The Hangover and Bad Moms, told the New York Times, "People like pretty faces. Actors will be better looking than writers, and we might get more attention.” It's the first time actors and writers have been on strike since 1960.

Some actors have also joined the WGA picket line in solidarity — such as the Modern Family cast. 

What will be affected?

Basically, any union show that kept going during the WGA strike. Some shows that were paused due to the WGA strike included Stranger Things, Saturday Night Live, The Last of Us, and Yellowjackets. 

Some shows did continue, including House of the Dragon, American Horror Story, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power — but it appears they'll be unlikely to continue now. As such, it might take some months — or years — before the full impact of the dual strike is felt.

Some movies that will likely cease production in the wake of the SAG-AFTRA strike include Wicked, Gladiator 2, Deadpool 3, and Beetlejuice 2. 

This will also likely mean that the promotion of movies and TV shows will grind to a halt. Yup, no red carpets — including the Venice and Toronto film festivals — and no Emmy For Your Consideration campaigns. 

Some have suggested that the WGA strike would lead to an increase in reality TV, but it's likely that plenty of hosts and judges are SAG-AFTRA members.

How can I support?

The best way to support the strikes is to join the picket line and, depending on what union you may be under, see what solidarity you can offer.