Bob Iger, the current CEO of The Walt Disney Company, stated during today’s earnings call that he hoped the dual strike can “end quickly”, as the Writers Guild of America arrives to its 100th day without working. The conflict began to escalate when studios refused to pay fair wages to their workers, prompting SAG-AFTRA to join the writers after a short period of time. When taking a break from talking to investors about the number of subscribers Disney+ lost during the last quarter, here’s what Bob Iger had to say about the ongoing strike:
It is my fervent hope that we quickly find solutions to the issues that have kept us apart these past few months, and I am personally committed to achieve this result.
One of the central topics discussed in the ongoing strike is how actors and writers are paid almost no money when a show or movie they worked on is performing well on streaming platforms. Regardless if the product is a part of the Netflix or Max catalogs, most members of the guilds can’t earn enough to have a sustainable career out of their work, while the projects they were a part of generate millions of dollars for the studios. The only way to end the dual strike is by studios offering a deal to both actors and writers that can allow them to be properly compensated for their hard work.
When it comes to Disney itself, plenty of their major productions will be pushed back as a result of the strike. Deadpool 3 will mark the return of Ryan Reynolds as the Marvel superhero who never seems to shut up. The sequel will also star Hugh Jackman, who will play Wolverine for the first time in more than five years. While audiences clearly have plenty of expectations for the third installment in the franchise, filming shut down weeks ago, and it won’t resume until the studios offer the guilds a fair deal. With major projects not being able to be released, studios should think twice about wanting to extend the situation indefinitely.
The Galaxy Far, Far Away is Also In Trouble
Every major franchise at Disney is suffering the consequences of the strike, including Star Wars. The lack of theatrical releases from the franchise has made it focus on television series that premiere on Disney+, but even those won’t be able to see the light of the day until the conflict reaches its conclusion. After the first season of Andor earned the studio a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, the second installment had to be shut down merely weeks before wrapping production because the media conglomerates don’t want to give workers fair wages. It remains to be seen when Diego Luna can go back to playing the titular hero.
via Collider