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Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA has granted approval to 39 independent productions to shoot during the strike, after confirming that they are not tied to AMPTP companies. The list includes two projects from A24, the independent production company: “Mother Mary,” starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, and “Death of a Unicorn,” starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, which is set to begin shooting soon in Hungary. A24 is not part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, said a spokesperson for the company. The projects also include “The Rivals of Amziah King,” starring Matthew McConaughey and “The Chosen,” a TV series about the life of Jesus.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The SAG-AFTRA strike has sparked a great deal of discussion and confusion about what is forbidden and what is still OK. SAG-AFTRA has put out a detailed FAQ for members, non-members, indie producers, and other groups. But people still have questions. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. I’m a film critic. Can I review movies? Absolutely. Critics are not on strike and are not obligated to stop reviewing movies or TV shows. I’m an entertainment journalist. Can I cover movies and TV?

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA and the major studios remain at odds on a dizzying array of issues, as film and TV actors hit the picket lines Friday for the first time since 1980. According to sources on both sides, the biggest sticking point is the union’s demand for 2% of the revenue generated by streaming shows. The two sides also remain far apart on basic increases in minimum rates, with the studios offering 5%, 4% and 3.5% across the three years of the contract, while the union is demanding 11%, 4% and 4%. But that only scratches the surface. The parties are at odds on dozens of issues, only a handful of which have been publicly reported.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer As the clock ticked toward midnight on July 12, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher addressed the group of negotiators from the major studios. “You’re sitting on the wrong side of history,” she told them. “Shame on you.” It had been clear for some time that Drescher’s union would go on strike. A final day of talks with two federal mediators had done nothing to bridge the gaps between the two sides. Drescher’s speech served as the exclamation point — a dramatic flourish from a born performer — casting the dispute over business models and residual formulas in Manichean terms.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA announced Thursday that it is on strike against the film and TV companies, marking only the second time in Hollywood history that actors have joined writers on the picket lines. The SAG-AFTRA national board held its meeting on Thursday morning and voted unanimously to approve a strike recommendation forwarded by the negotiating committee, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, said during a press conference. “Union members should withhold their labor until a fair contract can be achieved,” he told the room. “They have left us with no alternative.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A SAG-AFTRA strike appears to be imminent, as talks with the studios have concluded without a deal or an extension. The union’s contract officially expired at midnight. In a statement, the union said that the negotiating committee had voted unanimously to recommend a strike. The union’s national board is expected to meet Thursday morning to call a strike, which would immediately halt scripted film and TV production by the companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement that the AMPTP’s responses to its key issues were “insulting and disrespectful.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A federal mediator will be present on Wednesday for negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the major studios, as the performers’ contract is set to expire at midnight. The two sides agreed Tuesday to seek mediation in a last-ditch effort to avert a strike, which has come to seem all but inevitable in recent days. If no deal is reached, the SAG-AFTRA national board is expected to hold a meeting on Thursday to approve a walkout. The union represents 160,000 performers, who would join the Writers Guild of America on the picket lines outside the major studios.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA has agreed to a last-minute call for federal mediation of its contract, but indicated it will not extend its deadline for deciding whether to go on strike beyond Wednesday at midnight. That would appear to leave relatively little time for a mediator to avert a strike, which could begin as soon as Thursday morning. In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the union emphasized that “time is running out” and made clear that relations between the two sides have become extremely strained. “The AMPTP has abused our trust and damaged the respect we have for them in this process,” the union said. “We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to engineer an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Monday that extends the state’s $330 million tax incentive for film and TV production. The program will be extended for five years through 2030. For the first time, the credit will be refundable, meaning that companies like Netflix that have little or no state tax liability can receive cash back from the state. That change has been estimated to cost $200 million. The bill is the result of more than a year of bargaining between Hollywood studios, entertainment unions and state lawmakers. In addition to extending the credit, the bill also includes an incentive for productions to hire a diverse workforce, both on screen and behind the camera.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA and the studios will keep talking beyond the midnight Friday contract deadline, as they remain at odds on issues like streaming residuals and artificial intelligence. The union has agreed to extend the contract to July 12. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and SAG-AFTRA made the announcement in a joint statement just before 7 p.m. Friday. In a message to its membership, SAG-AFTRA said the leadership had decided unanimously to extend the contract “in order to exhaust every opportunity to achieve the righteous contract we all demand and deserve.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA negotiators are meeting again Friday with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, as the industry waits in nervous anticipation of a potential “double strike.” The contract expires at midnight, and the actors union could call a strike as soon as Saturday if no deal is reached. The actors would join the Writers Guild of America, which has been picketing outside the major studios since May 2. The two sides have been exchanging proposals over the last week, and SAG-AFTRA leaders have said publicly that the talks have been productive. But it’s still not clear whether enough progress has been made to get to a deal.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Prosecutors in the “Rust” case allege that the film’s armorer handed a bag of cocaine to another person on the evening after Halyna Hutchins was killed. Hannah Gutierrez Reed was charged last week with evidence tampering for allegedly handing off the drugs in October 2021. Prosecutors allege that by doing so, she interfered with the investigation into Hutchins’ death. Gutierrez Reed was already facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter for loading a live round into Alec Baldwin’s gun. The prosecution has claimed that Gutierrez Reed was drinking and smoking marijuana in the evenings during the production, and may have been hung over at the time of the shooting.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Netflix is poised to score big from two tax incentives that are moving through the state legislatures in California and New Jersey this week. In California, the legislature is set to approve a five-year extension of the state’s $330 million incentive for film and TV production. For the first time, the tax credit will be refundable — meaning that companies like Netflix, which does not have California tax liability, will be able to benefit. And in New Jersey, the legislature is moving forward on a significant expansion of a state incentive for film and TV infrastructure. That expansion is designed in part to help Netflix redevelop Fort Monmouth, a former military base on the Jersey Shore, as a production facility.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Diana Jenkins, who appeared on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” has settled her defamation suit against the anonymous blogger behind the “Crazy Days & Nights” gossip site. Jenkins sued in November over a series of blind items, tweets and podcast interviews that suggested that she was a sex trafficker who was linked to Jeffrey Epstein. In the settlement, the blogger — who goes by Enty Lawyer — agreed to retract the allegations. “Diana is not, nor do I now believe she has ever been, involved in illegal or immoral activity,” he said on his blog. “I regret contributing to this false narrative, and I apologize to Diana and her family for the harm my statements have caused.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer With less than a week to go before their contract expires, the leaders of SAG-AFTRA are striking an optimistic note about the progress of negotiations. In a video sent to members on Saturday, union president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland say they hope to be able to achieve a deal with the studios. If they do, that would avert a “double strike,” in which performers would join the Writers Guild of America on picket lines outside the major studios. “I just want to assure you that we are having an extremely productive negotiations that are laser-focused on all of the crucial issues you told us are most important to you,” Drescher said. “We’re standing strong and we’re going to achieve a seminal deal.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Prosecutors on Thursday accused “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed of tampering with evidence by handing off drugs to another person on the day of the fatal shooting on set. Gutierrez Reed’s lawyer, Jason Bowles, said the new charge came without prior notice or evidence to support it. “Something is rotten in Denmark,” Bowles said in an email. “This stinks to high heaven and is retaliatory and vindictive.” Gutierrez Reed is already facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the October 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Meredith Stiehm will seek a second two-year term as president of WGA West in the fall election, and the other top officials of the guild will also seek reelection. Justine Bateman, the writer-director and former “Family Ties” star, is running for a spot on the WGA West board. Bateman has become outspoken on the need for tight regulation of artificial intelligence. The guild announced its preliminary list of nominees on Wednesday. Stiehm, who has been active in both the agency campaign and the current strike, will run against challenger Rich Talarico, a “Key and Peele” writer who has faulted the guild for not doing more to fight back against the release of free clips of the show on YouTube.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA’s master contract with Hollywood’s largest employers is due to expire in two weeks, and negotiators who have been in bargaining talks since June 7 have a lot of proposals to work through before that deadline. The time crunch has raised the possibility that the union’s talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers could go past the June 30 deadline, according to multiple sources who asked not to be identified. The SAG-AFTRA board has the power to call a strike starting on July 1 if no agreement is reached. That would immediately shut down all film and TV production that has not already been halted by the writers strike.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer In the summer of 1952, guilds representing directors and actors reached a historic deal with Hollywood studios to earn a residual on TV reruns. But the Screen Writers Guild held out for a royalty — a percentage of the gross, not a flat fee — and declared the first-ever writers strike. After three months, the writers accepted the residual and returned to work. That is the definition of “pattern bargaining,” and that has been the protocol for contract talks for the Writers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA ever since. The largest studios and platforms make a deal with one guild, and the other two are usually forced to take the same general terms.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer New Mexico prosecutors say they will file new charges against Alec Baldwin if further testing shows that his gun was working at the time of the “Rust” shooting. The special prosecutors in the case, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, dropped manslaughter charges against Baldwin in April. Baldwin had been accused of negligently pulling the trigger, causing the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. But Baldwin’s lawyers provided analysis that raised doubt that the gun was working properly at the time. The FBI analyzed the gun last year, and broke it during a test firing. In a recent court filing, Morrissey and Lewis said that the gun has been sent to an independent expert for further testing.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA began negotiations with the major studios on Wednesday, and the two sides have already agreed on one thing: they won’t be talking to the media about it. In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and SAG-AFTRA said they will adhere to a media blackout for the duration of talks. “Today, SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP began formal negotiations for a new contract, and with the agreement that neither organization will comment to the media about the negotiations during the process,” they said in a joint statement.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The membership of SAG-AFTRA has voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike authorization, maximizing the guild’s leverage ahead of negotiations that begin on Wednesday. The guild announced Monday night that 97.91% of the voting members supported the authorization. Turnout was 47.69%. The vote comes as the Writers Guild of America strike enters its sixth week. Many SAG-AFTRA members have already joined WGA members walking the picket lines. The leaders of both guilds have expressed solidarity with each other several times this year. The writers strike has caused a sharp downturn in production, especially in television. If SAG-AFTRA goes on strike, any remaining film and TV production would halt immediately. The union represents 160,000 performers.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Chris Keyser, the co-chair of the Writers Guild of America negotiating committee, said in a video message Friday that the WGA is prepared to fight alone if necessary. Keyser said that the guild, which has been on strike since May 2, is “girded by an alliance” with SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America. But he promised that even if both guilds reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers this month, “We will fight on.” “Any deal that puts this town back to work runs straight through the WGA and there is no way around us,” Keyser said. “We are strong enough — we have always been strong enough — to get the deal we need with writer power alone.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Obama-appointed judge who was overseeing Disney’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recused himself on Thursday over a relative’s ownership of 30 shares of Disney stock. The case was transferred to Judge Allen C. Winsor, an appointee of President Trump who previously upheld the state’s Parental Rights in Education law. That law, known to its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, is at the center of the Disney-DeSantis controversy. Disney sued DeSantis in April, alleging that the state had engaged in a campaign of retaliation against the company over its opposition to the bill. The state rescinded Disney’s special governing district in Orlando, and then reconstituted it under the control of five DeSantis appointees.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer This is not 2008. That was the message sent on Thursday by the Writers Guild of America, which argues that the current strike — now a month old — will not end the way the last one did 15 years ago. In 2008, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers got a deal with the Directors Guild of America, which set the pattern for the deal that ended the writers strike after 100 days. In an email to members, the WGA argued that the studios are once again pursuing a similar “divide and conquer” strategy.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Danny Masterson, the former star of “That ’70s Show,” was convicted Wednesday on two counts of forcible rape. The jury could not reach a verdict on a third rape charge, deadlocking with a vote of 8-4 in favor of conviction. Masterson faces a potential sentence of 30 years to life in prison on the two charges. Shortly after the clerk read the guilty verdicts, there was an audible gasp from Masterson’s family, who were seated in the audience. Masterson was accused of raping three women at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003. The jury convicted him of raping two women in 2003, but could not reach a verdict pertaining to an allegation from November 2001 involving a former girlfriend.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Los Angeles unions rallied on Friday evening in a show of support for the Writers Guild of America, which has been on strike for the last four weeks. The unions — representing hotel workers, teachers and state employees — shared the stage across from Crypto.com Arena in downtown L.A. with representatives from the Hollywood guilds. “It’s going to be a hot labor summer,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, executive director of SAG-AFTRA. “Your fight is our fight. Our fight is your fight. We are all in this together.” SAG-AFTRA has called a strike authorization vote as it looks to gain leverage for its negotiations, which begin on June 7. The SAG-AFTRA contract expires on June 30.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A judge on Thursday said she will throw out a lawsuit over a nude scene in the 1968 version of “Romeo and Juliet,” after finding that the film is protected by the First Amendment. The stars of the film, Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, filed the suit in December, alleging that they were coerced by director Franco Zeffirelli into performing nude in the film’s bedroom scene. Hussey was 16 at the time of filming; Whiting was 17. Judge Alison Mackenzie granted Paramount’s motion to throw out the suit, finding that the plaintiffs had not complied with the provisions of a California law that temporarily suspended the statute of limitations for child sex abuse claims.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Last summer, Van Robichaux ran for the board of directors of the Writers Guild of America West. Out of 17 candidates, he was the only one who raised a concern about artificial intelligence in his campaign statement. “As far as I know, this issue is not on the radar of anyone else running for the board and while I might sound like a paranoid lunatic talking about it today, in 10 years I’m confident you’ll be glad I brought it up now,” he wrote. He did not win. AI has since become the hottest topic in the creative economy, spurred by the release of models like Stable Diffusion last August and ChatGPT in November. Across disciplines – graphic design, animation, acting, music, writing – artists are terrified of being replaced by robots.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA announced Wednesday that it will hold a strike authorization vote as it seeks to get its “ducks in a row” ahead of June 7 negotiations with the major studios. The vote does not mean that the performers’ union will necessarily join the Writers Guild of America on the picket lines after its contract expires on June 30. In a press release, the union said its negotiating committee decided that a strike authorization would provide “maximum bargaining leverage” for the talks. “We must get all our ducks in a row should the need present itself,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in the release. “The prospect of a strike is not a first option, but a last resort. As my dad always says, ‘Better to have and not need than to need and not have!’”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The war between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis does not appear to be calming down any time soon — as both sides have traded lawsuits in a struggle for control over the company’s Orlando theme parks. In the latest move, the DeSantis-backed board that oversees Disney World, EPCOT and the other parks will take up a proposal on Wednesday to establish a code enforcement system. According to a staff report, the proposal would allow code enforcement officers to impose civil penalties of up to $500 per infraction per day — the maximum allowed by state law. The board would also appoint a special magistrate who could hear appeals of citations.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Negotiators for the Directors Guild of America on Tuesday gave a video preview of their upcoming talks with the studios, saying they are “fighting to receive our fair share of the new, global future.” The DGA begins its round of bargaining on Wednesday with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The guild is focused on rewriting the streaming residual formula to account for the growth in foreign subscribers. “The explosive popularity of streaming around the world has transformed how, and where, our work is viewed, and our contracts must adapt to changing production and distribution,” said Karen Gaviola, negotiations co-chair.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer If Hollywood’s labor drama were a script, this would be the start of Act Two. On Wednesday, as writers walk picket lines outside the major studios, the Directors Guild of America will sit down for its negotiations on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. A deal — if they are able to reach one — could help resolve the writers strike. That’s what happened 15 years ago, when the Writers Guild of America was on strike and the directors went in for their contract negotiations. Leveraging the pressure of an industry-wide work stoppage that was in its third month, the DGA secured milestone agreements for unfettered jurisdiction over the internet and a residual formula for what was then quaintly known as “new media” exploitation of movies and TV shows.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Paramount has filed a motion to throw out a lawsuit over the 1968 version of “Romeo and Juliet,” arguing that a nude scene with underage actors does not amount to “childhood sexual assault.” Actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting were 16 and 17 when they starred in the movie, which was directed by Franco Zeffirelli. The film’s famous bedroom scene includes a lingering shot of Whiting’s buttocks and a brief glimpse of Hussey’s breasts. The actors, now in their 70s, filed a $500 million suit in December, alleging that Zeffirelli pressured them into performing in the nude. They accused Paramount, the distributor, of profiting from their sexual exploitation.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer To a lot of people outside the negotiating room, a strike by Hollywood writers felt inevitable. But it didn’t feel that way inside the room. Until the last day or two, negotiators for both labor and management believed that the other side would give, and that a deal would be reached at the last moment. But picket lines in Los Angeles and New York this week tell a different story. The conflict that led to the breakdown of talks on the night of May 1 began the day before. On April 30, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers delivered a 40-page package of proposals to WGA’s negotiating committee. It did not include key elements that the Writers Guild of America has insisted are essential to sealing a new three-year contract, including a mandatory minimum number of weeks for TV writers and a minimum staff size for writers rooms.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer New York is poised to dramatically increase its film tax incentive from $420 million a year to $700 million, as it looks to stave off competition from New Jersey and Georgia. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an agreement Thursday night on a $229 billion budget, after weeks of negotiations with state lawmakers. Among many other provisions, the budget will increase the size of the film tax credit program, as well as raise the credit percentage from 25% to 30%, bringing it in line with rival states. The program will also be extended to 2034, according to a source familiar with the conceptual agreement.