The Writers Guild of America (WGA, the writers) has been on strike since early May when talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP, the networks, studios and streamers) hit a stalemate. Three key issues at stake are wages, protections against AI and an overdue reckoning on streaming residuals. Regarding residuals, the status quo has been that writers receive residual payments whenever a show or film is licensed. In the era of streaming, however, giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime have not been licensing their (massively popular) content, at least not on a comparable scale. Quelle surprise, the big guys don’t want to make changes for a (more) equitable system.

The unfair dynamics stacked against the writers are the same for directors (DGA) and actors (SAG), both of which have June deadlines to reach their own deals with AMPTP, and the big question was could there be a triple-guild strike that would be a real show of power against AMPTP. Well, those hopes were dashed when the DGA struck a deal rather quickly in early June. Now all eyes turn to SAG to see if they reach a deal by the end of the month, or move to strike with the WGA. Methinks the studios are behind this doom and gloom reporting on what would happen to summer movies if SAG were to go on strike:

What happens if SAG doesn’t reach a deal by June 30: If that date comes and goes without a new deal in place, then union members (which include every movie star you can name) could hit the picket lines. That means they will not be available nor willing to promote their latest films. Already, the Writers Guild of America strike has caused promotional headaches for TV and streaming shows looking to launch Emmy campaigns. It’s also created dilemmas for publicists hoping to score press for writer clients with movies opening in theaters or debuting at Cannes or Tribeca.
Barbie in the crosshairs: The life cycle of a movie marketing campaign can vary, but in the case of most summer tentpoles the hype can start as early as two years prior to release, sources said–think first-look posters and teaser trailers. About four to six months before opening weekend, studios will engage long-lead publications for splashy cover stories, as Warner Bros. did recently for Ryan Gosling (GQ Style) and Margot Robbie (Vogue) in support of “Barbie.” That film is also set to junket on July 7-8, putting it in the strike’s crosshairs. Some interviews are being completed pre-strike deadline for a later rollout, according to one individual familiar with cast schedules.
You simply MUST have a red carpet: “Your last month is all about moving the needle,” added another veteran film marketer. This includes global photo calls with cast, domestic and international talk show appearance, multi-city red carpet premieres and weekly magazine covers. One studio executive said that, thanks to the writers strike, the major late-night shows are dark, and therefore aren’t an option at the moment. But, “not having a big red carpet the week the movie premieres? That will absolutely hurt.”
This is asinine: The executive, like many of those on the side of the studios and producers in the current guild faceoffs, is baffled by the idea of a work stoppage. “The union is fighting for wages. A strike is going to hurt box office grosses, which affects actors’ compensation. If I were someone like Margot Robbie, as a producer and star of ‘Barbie,’ I wouldn’t be happy,” they said. One publicist was already bracing for a summer without booking in-depth profiles in magazines or appearances on morning TV shows. “I guess I’m going to be pitching press on a lot of documentaries,” they said.

[From Yahoo]

“The union is fighting for wages. A strike is going to hurt box office grosses, which affects actor’s compensation.” Which is why you should never ask for a raise, ever! Give me a break. In case it isn’t obvious by now, I, like our president, am pro-union and would love for the actors to stand with their writers (as they already have been). Barbie and Oppenheimer both have scheduled press junket and release dates in July, so if SAG does strike there’s the concern that the stars won’t cross the picket line to promote the films. Perhaps I’m being too Pollyanna, but I think the interest in these films is great enough that people would either a) go to see them even if they didn’t catch Cillian Murphy on the Tonight Show beforehand, or b) wait until post-strike to see them. Red (pink?) carpet or not, people are GOING to see Barbie!

Last thought: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 (the title just rolls off the tongue) is facing less of a conflict because its press junket will be completed in June. Did Xenu orchestrate all this to give Tom Cruise his frickin’ IMAX screens?