WGA/SAGAFTRA Strike Discussion Thread | SAG Ratifies Contract

[Bob Train]

Netflix can "weather the storm" much better than most others in the AMPTP as they are less reliant on Hollywood. The biggest show ever on there, Squd Game, is Korean, meaning strikes don't affect it.

[Celedhring]

19 minutes ago, Bob Train said:

Netflix can "weather the storm" much better than most others in the AMPTP as they are less reliant on Hollywood. The biggest show ever on there, Squd Game, is Korean, meaning strikes don't affect it.

 

Their English language shows have much larger viewership on average though. That said. it's true that their global footprint gives them much more buffer compared to the other big AMPTP players.

[The GOAT]

32 minutes ago, Bob Train said:

Netflix can "weather the storm" much better than most others in the AMPTP as they are less reliant on Hollywood. The biggest show ever on there, Squd Game, is Korean, meaning strikes don't affect it.

My guess is that their numbers are fudged heavily. And if it comes out so, it'll affect their stock prices. 

Netflix will be the last hold out among the major production studios. 

[JustLurking]

47 minutes ago, MovieMan89 said:

I honestly don’t really get why Netflix would be so stubborn as all the reports have suggested when they’re sitting on streaming juggernauts like the next seasons of ST, Wednesday and One Piece that can’t happen until this gets resolved. Do they hate money? 

One piece is more of a solid start than a juggernaut, and to put it simply, in the midst of the strikes Netflix is the best off of the streaming giants because they have a lot of content outside SAG's and WGA's reach they can keep producing even if a lot of their big series have to take the hit

 

this strike isn't stopping squid game season 2 for instance, nor other moderate hits from outside the US. not sure how UK shows work with the strike but Who is Erin Carter? released the week before One Piece and didn't even do much worse, in fact relative to its much lower budget it probably did better.

 

they can afford to wait for ST and wednesday because their direct competitors will suffer worse than them, which is part of why I agree with porthos AMPTP may not be as rock solid as they say. truth is that this is an agreement of competitors and some of them stand to gain from starving the rest, they do not really have a common goal here.

Edited September 9, 2023 by JustLurking

[21C]

24 minutes ago, Celedhring said:

 

Their English language shows have much larger viewership on average though. That said. it's true that their global footprint gives them much more buffer compared to the other big AMPTP players.

The shows that have the biggest viewership for them are old shows, so they aren't exactly sweating it just yet.

[emoviefan]

51 minutes ago, JustLurking said:

One piece is more of a solid start than a juggernaut, and to put it simply, in the midst of the strikes Netflix is the best off of the streaming giants because they have a lot of content outside SAG's and WGA's reach they can keep producing even if a lot of their big series have to take the hit

 

this strike isn't stopping squid game season 2 for instance, nor other moderate hits from outside the US. not sure how UK shows work with the strike but Who is Erin Carter? released the week before One Piece and didn't even do much worse, in fact relative to its much lower budget it probably did better.

 

they can afford to wait for ST and wednesday because their direct competitors will suffer worse than them, which is part of why I agree with porthos AMPTP may not be as rock solid as they say. truth is that this is an agreement of competitors and some of them stand to gain from starving the rest, they do not really have a common goal here.

Can't wait for Season 5 of Stranger Things which will be like the second half of IT because they will all be in their 30's by that time. 

[grim22]

7 hours ago, MovieMan89 said:

I honestly don’t really get why Netflix would be so stubborn as all the reports have suggested when they’re sitting on streaming juggernauts like the next seasons of ST, Wednesday and One Piece that can’t happen until this gets resolved. Do they hate money? 

One piece

 

 

[AMC Theaters Enjoyer]

just spitballing here, but every studio has the opportunity to get some great PR from being the one to break away.

 

like, Paramount for example, they haven’t done anything outright stupid during all this, they be the first one to break away and they can play the “We love our writers and actors and always supported them and decided we weren’t gonna wait around and waste everyone’s time like the other studios.” shtick in the media. 
 

Even a studio that has messed up hard during this can turn things around. Like Warner Bros, after stuff like Zaslav at BostonU and potentially losing $500M from these strikes, can break a deal, and be all “We hit some bumps but ultimately decided to do the right thing.” in the press. 
 

You get your productions back on track, don’t have to screw up your release schedules further, you look good to the public, make your competitors look worse, and can even steal talent away while satisfying their demands. It’s a win for everyone.

Edited September 10, 2023 by AMC Theaters Enjoyer

[Ryan Reynolds]

18 minutes ago, AMC Theaters Enjoyer said:

just spitballing here, but every studio has the opportunity to get some great PR from being the one to break away.

 

like, Paramount for example, they haven’t done anything outright stupid during all this, they be the first one to break away and they can play the “We love our writers and actors and always supported them and decided we weren’t gonna wait around and waste everyone’s time like the other studios.” shtick in the media. 
 

Even a studio that has messed up hard during this can turn things around. Like Warner Bros, after stuff like Zaslav at BostonU and potentially losing $500M from these strikes, can break a deal, and be all “We hit some bumps but ultimately decided to do the right thing.” in the press. 
 

You get your productions back on track, don’t have to screw up your release schedules further, you look good to the public, make your competitors look worse, and can even steal talent away while satisfying their demands. It’s a win for everyone.

Tom Cruise is probably calling Paramount daily to make a deal,  he must be going crazy not being able to work

[crazymoviekid]

When do we think the studios are going to start delaying more movies?

 

Not to make sure the actors can promote a title, but to fill in a slot for a movie that can't be finished in time. 

[Ryan Reynolds]

18 minutes ago, crazymoviekid said:

When do we think the studios are going to start delaying more movies?

 

Not to make sure the actors can promote a title, but to fill in a slot for a movie that can't be finished in time. 

by end of September , i'm surprised there hasn't been more delays, once it goes into October, they basically given up the rest of the year

[Bob Train]

I don't really see anything that needs to move for the rest of the year. Maybe one of WB's December movies could move. Maybe Trolls 3, as it's releasing a week before Wish and only a month before Migration (although, Grinch, Ralph 2, and Spider-Verse all co-existed in the same Nov-Dec frame in 2018). The most likely option for a delay is Napoleon in my opinion, as Variety reported it could be delayed. Don't see anything from September or October being delayed, or at least nothing major.

 

I think there is going to be a lot of shifting around and delays of movies within 2024. The spring slate will become the summer slate and the summer slate will become the fall slate, so to speak. Dead Reckoning 2, Venom 3, and Deadpool 3 getting delayed feels inevitable, as their dates would have been a stretch even without a strike. WB is gonna need to find a better date for Dune 2 because if it sticks, it'll get killed in the March onslaught with limited PLFs. Same with Snow White. And no idea why Elio, and KFP4 are releasing back-to-back as they'd cannibalize each other. So lots of changes coming.

[ChipDerby]

WB will break off first and offer Nolan every IMAX screen in the world.

[The GOAT]

Day 131

[joselowe]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed but am I the only one happy that Taylor Swift has completely bypassed major film studios for her movie by working directly with major movie chains?

 

The fact that she is putting out a film that will likely do great at the box office should worry film studios that if they keep up their antics that people will be able to do like Taylor and work directly with the major movie chains and bypass the major studios all together. This should demonstrate to them that they need talent more than talent needs them.

[Celedhring]

9 minutes ago, joselowe said:

I'm not sure if this has been discussed but am I the only one happy that Taylor Swift has completely bypassed major film studios for her movie by working directly with major movie chains?

 

The fact that she is putting out a film that will likely do great at the box office should worry film studios that if they keep up their antics that people will be able to do like Taylor and work directly with the major movie chains and bypass the major studios all together. This should demonstrate to them that they need talent more than talent needs them.

 

Swift's movie is such an edge case (given her outsized starpower and following, and that a concert film is easier to produce than a regular feature) that I don't think studios will be too worried. It will remain extremely difficult to bypass them in the grand scheme of things, and 95% of indies just can't afford to.

[Sckathian]

Swift isn’t repeatable. What would be interesting is if the investors selling off their positions with the big Hollywood companies start investing in companies/form a new company which accepts the unions terms.

[joselowe]

1 hour ago, Celedhring said:

 

Swift's movie is such an edge case (given her outsized starpower and following, and that a concert film is easier to produce than a regular feature) that I don't think studios will be too worried. It will remain extremely difficult to bypass them in the grand scheme of things, and 95% of indies just can't afford to.

Many films are financed and completed before a studio buys the rights to it for distribution. I have family in the industry who have done that and I just read an article that some theater chains will start letting indie films bypass studios during the strike and work directly with them. Also apparently the studios are pissed about what Taylor did because the theater chains never told anything to any of the major studios about it.

https://amp.marca.com/en/lifestyle/movies/2023/09/02/64f38a40e2704ef4058b4580.html

Some exhibitors have privately discussed the possibility of an opening weekend that exceeds $100 million, as other films abandon the October 13th date in terror. This success sends a clear message from exhibitors to traditional studios that multiplexes can find programming without their help, potentially changing the dynamics of cinema distribution.

 

 

This will change the studios landscape

The decision to distribute independently has significant benefits for the Swifts. By engaging directly with theaters, they have significantly reduced their expenses while increasing their potential earnings. As Belloni reports, "the Swifts have proven that they can do it on their own and reap all the rewards."

 

https://screenrant.com/taylor-swift-eras-tour-movie-success-wga-sag-strikes-support/

The success of Taylor Swift's Era's Tour proves big studios aren't as powerful and necessary as they think they are. It's important to note that Swift is a massive celebrity with a cult following who will show up to support any of her endeavors. However, there are plenty of present-day and past films – Marvel and Harry Potter, to name a few – with massive fanbases that would fill theaters whether these movies had major companies backing them or were independently produced. Needless to say, Swift's tour movie is further evidence that the creative teams behind films are the ones who draw fans in, not studio executives.

[WittyUsername]

10 hours ago, AMC Theaters Enjoyer said:

just spitballing here, but every studio has the opportunity to get some great PR from being the one to break away.

 

like, Paramount for example, they haven’t done anything outright stupid during all this, they be the first one to break away and they can play the “We love our writers and actors and always supported them and decided we weren’t gonna wait around and waste everyone’s time like the other studios.” shtick in the media. 
 

Even a studio that has messed up hard during this can turn things around. Like Warner Bros, after stuff like Zaslav at BostonU and potentially losing $500M from these strikes, can break a deal, and be all “We hit some bumps but ultimately decided to do the right thing.” in the press. 
 

You get your productions back on track, don’t have to screw up your release schedules further, you look good to the public, make your competitors look worse, and can even steal talent away while satisfying their demands. It’s a win for everyone.

That would certainly be the sensible thing to do, but common sense doesn’t appear to come easy to these executives. 

[Kon]

7 hours ago, joselowe said:

Many films are financed and completed before a studio buys the rights to it for distribution. I have family in the industry who have done that and I just read an article that some theater chains will start letting indie films bypass studios duering the strike and work directly with them. Also apparently the studios are pissed about what Taylor did because the theater chains never told anything to any of the major studios about it.

https://amp.marca.com/en/lifestyle/movies/2023/09/02/64f38a40e2704ef4058b4580.html

Some exhibitors have privately discussed the possibility of an opening weekend that exceeds $100 million, as other films abandon the October 13th date in terror. This success sends a clear message from exhibitors to traditional studios that multiplexes can find programming without their help, potentially changing the dynamics of cinema distribution.

 

 

This will change the studios landscape

The decision to distribute independently has significant benefits for the Swifts. By engaging directly with theaters, they have significantly reduced their expenses while increasing their potential earnings. As Belloni reports, "the Swifts have proven that they can do it on their own and reap all the rewards."

 

https://screenrant.com/taylor-swift-eras-tour-movie-success-wga-sag-strikes-support/

The success of Taylor Swift's Era's Tour proves big studios aren't as powerful and necessary as they think they are. It's important to note that Swift is a massive celebrity with a cult following who will show up to support any of her endeavors. However, there are plenty of present-day and past films – Marvel and Harry Potter, to name a few – with massive fanbases that would fill theaters whether these movies had major companies backing them or were independently produced. Needless to say, Swift's tour movie is further evidence that the creative teams behind films are the ones who draw fans in, not studio executives.

 

Of course, movies with massive fanbases will fill the theaters even without companies backing. I don't know why this article acts like this is a great discovery.

 

The thing is the films with massive fanbases will likely need big budget to be created. That's why studios are needed.

 

Movies financed and completed before the studios buy the rights to it for distribution are indie movies, which aren't especially expensive. Not to mention that creators of indie movies would have to bear all the costs of creation (and promotion) through the theaters if the studios do not buy the rights.

 

 

PS: I'm pretty sure most of the talent don't want their only option to be Indie movies. So, they need the studios.

Edited September 10, 2023 by Kon