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This year, the conventional Halloween celebration in Hollywood has undergone a unique shift due to the ongoing actors’ strike against major production studios. The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, has indeed encouraged its members to forgo costumes that promote the works of the studios they are protesting against.
Despite the resolution of the writers’ strike, the actors’ dispute, which emerged in July, continues to impede American film and television production. In this strained context, SAG-AFTRA issued an appeal to its members, advising them to steer clear of costumes such as Barbie or Oppenheimer for Halloween. The intent is clear: to avoid endorsing studio productions during this period of demand.
On the picket lines outside the headquarters of Netflix and Paramount in Los Angeles, the union’s directive was widely heeded. Traditional costumes like witches, bats and frogs were notably favored over superhero and heroine outfits. Actress Sonia Grace commented to AFP that supporting the studios while simultaneously protesting against them presents a contradiction.
Central to these demands are improved remuneration and safeguards concerning the use of artificial intelligence. Following months of unproductive negotiations, dialogues between the two factions have heightened, although no decisive agreement has been reached as yet.
If a resolution is not swiftly attained, the resumption of film and television production may be postponed to the following year, given the annual shutdown of studios during the festive season. Mykle McCoslin, an actress and active member of SAG-AFTRA, urges studios to negotiate in good faith. She also underscores the significance for actors to observe Halloween while standing resolute in their demands.
In essence, the actors’ strike in Hollywood has infused the Halloween festivity with a political undertone, with actors seizing the occasion to amplify their message and demands to the production studios.
With AFP
