Lights, Camera, Inaction! How the Strikes Brought Hollywood to its Knees

It was a scene straight out of a Hollywood script – the entertainment capital of the world brought to its knees as stars, scribes, and crew members took to the streets. For nearly a year, the glittering red carpets fell silent and studio lots sat vacant as writers and actors staged back-to-back strikes that upended the industry.

The creative fuel that powers Hollywood’s magic factory – words on a page brought to life on a screen – ground to a halt amid raging labor disputes over issues like streaming pay and health benefits. Production slates once packed with blockbuster hopefuls were suddenly stripped bare, leaving studios scrambling and forcing a wave of delays that pushed highly-anticipated projects years down the pipeline. From the studio executive suites to the craft services tables, a mood of uncertainty and discord permeated Hollywood’s ranks.

The 2023 strikes marked an unprecedented period of unrest that revealed the deep chasms between the industry’s creative class and the media conglomerates that bankroll their visions. As writers marched the picket lines wielding witty signs and actors rallied to uplift union members, Tinseltown’s labor force proved it was willing to shut down the system in order to have their voices heard.

While the final curtain may have closed on the strikes, their ripple effects on Hollywood – its culture, business models and release schedules – will reverberate for years to come.

Writers Go On Strike

In April, members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if a new contract deal wasn’t reached before the existing contract expired on May 1. When negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) stalled, WGA leaders called for the start of the strike on May 2nd.

The Strikes Drags On for Months

The writers’ strike dragged on for nearly 5 months, wreaking havoc on the industry. With no new scripts being written, studios were forced to delay productions and push back release dates. The Los Angeles economy lost billions as thousands of crew members found themselves out of work.

Actors Follow Suit

Just as the writers were nearing a deal to end their strike in September, negotiations between the studios and the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) broke down. On July 14th, SAG-AFTRA members began their own strike.

With both writers and actors walking the picket lines, almost all film and TV productions were shut down. The dual strikes were on track to cost California’s economy an estimated $3 billion.

Tentative Deal Reached with Writers

Finally, in late September, the WGA reached a tentative 3-year deal with studios, ending the writers’ strike after 148 days. The agreement included gains in streaming residuals as well as contributions to the union’s health plan. Writers returned to work, albeit with a huge backlog of delayed projects.

Despite the writers deal, SAG-AFTRA members remained on strike for nearly 4 months. They continued to picket for higher streaming residuals, a bigger share of box office receipts, and extended health care coverage.

Deal Ends Actors Strike

On November 9th, SAG-AFTRA finally reached a deal with studios after 23 weeks on strike. With actors returning to work, studios can now restart production on delayed films and TV shows. However, many major projects won’t hit theaters for another 1-3 years due to schedules being pushed back.

Major media companies reported feeling big impacts from the dual strikes. Disney stated the disruption would cut into its 2023 profits. Sony trimmed its annual forecasts and delayed major releases like Spiderman sequels. Warner Bros. Discovery warned the strikes could negatively affect its earnings into 2024.

Hollywood Movies Delayed

Dozens of major tentpole films have had release dates pushed back 6 months to 3 years due to the strikes halting production. These include highly anticipated titles like Aquaman 2, Deadpool 3, Dune 2, and the next Star Wars trilogy. Other movies like Pixar’s Elio and Disney’s Snow White remake were delayed until 2025.

Lingering Impacts

Now that the strikes have ended, studios are anxious to resume production as soon as possible on delayed projects. However, experts predict the disruption will lead to a relatively slow 2024 film release schedule compared to previous years. Some media analysts caution there is still “real risk” that financial impacts on studios could persist into 2024 and beyond.

While the strikes may be over, it will likely take months if not years for normalcy to return to Hollywood following the most tumultuous period in recent memory. But studios and unions alike will be hoping the bargaining gains made by writers and actors justify the extended turmoil.