The ongoing Writers Strike in Hollywood has been occupying a significant chunk of the entertainment news over the past few months. The strike is a labor initiative of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) representing more than 11,000 writers in the television and film space. The organization went into combat mode to demand better income and recognition for their services which were compromised following the pandemic. Writers also called out the detrimental effects of AI tools like Chat GPT which could possibly displace them from their jobs.
In a historic turn of events, Hollywood celebrities, and SAG members have lent their unstinted support to the writers by going on an Actors Strike. Among the many stars who have come forward to be part of the protest, British actor and director Kenneth Branagh has taken a stand for a better future for the Hollywood writing fraternity.
Kenneth Branagh Supports The Actors Strike
The Writers Strike in Hollywood is not looking to ease up anytime soon until the demands of writers are met. The wordsmiths who are the backbone of every film or television script, are also getting support from many Hollywood stars like Angelina Jolie, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Brad Pitt. Actor and Thor director Kenneth Branagh is one of the celebrities who is walking the talk by expressing his desire and hope to see a happy future for the writers by joining his fellow SAG colleagues in the Actors Strike. Speaking at the premiere of Oppenheimer, Branagh said,
“I hope as everyone does that it resolves itself quickly. But it’s such a critical time in our industry. The implications of what’s happening with that agreement go way beyond SAG-AFTRA. It’s an existential moment in our industry. I’m in solidarity with SAG, being a member for over 33 years. They are doing the best they can and I think it’s the way to go”
The Harry Potter star also went on to add that he hoped that this stand taken by the actors would yield positive results for the writers as everyone would like to get back to the business of cinema as soon as possible.
How Will The Actors Strike Impact Hollywood?
Hollywood is witnessing its first big shutdown in 63 years as thousands of film and television actors joined writers who walked off the job 11 weeks ago over low pay and the increasing dominance of artificial intelligence. This is the first time in over 60 years that both unions have been on strike together after Ronald Reagan led the first protest.
This walkout by actors would directly impact Hollywood and its projects. It will stop all production of film and scripted television shows in the United States except for independent productions that are not bound by labor contracts with unions. The films made for theaters are unlikely to face the brunt since movies take two to three years to be completed. As per reports, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video can continue to air local language content produced in Korea and India but cannot stream anything coming out of Hollywood.
Source: Twitter
