Expectations loom large for the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers to reach an agreement with the Writers Guild of America, on strike since May 2, and SAG-AFTRA, out since July 14 — with many assuming resolution would arrive around the observance of Labor Day.
But as the impasse continues, how strong is the desire and sense of urgency on both sides to end the walkouts? What lasting damage might these disputes leave for the entertainment industry? Kim Masters and Matt Belloni delve into these questions.
“We're looking at summer movies not being ready. We're looking at big shows for the spring that the streamers were counting on… not being there,” says Matt Belloni of Puck News. “I think there's just a sense that what this industry is going to look like after the strike gets more and more perilous the longer it goes.”
Many KCRW staff are members of SAG-AFTRA, though we are under a separate contract from the agreement at issue between actors and studios.