The Looming, Industry-wide Strike Threatens to Shut Down Hollywood Very Soon

Anyone who enjoys sitting down during primetime to watch his or her favorite shows, or anticipates seeing long-awaited films in the movie theaters, had better think about taking up a new hobby for a while. Hollywood's favorite celebrities in both film and television, from Matt Damon to Hugh Laurie, may all unwillingly be taking an extended vacation next year. For months now, the looming possibility of an industry-wide strike has been continuing to grow, as ongoing negotiations between the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) and the WGA (Writers Guild of America) have consistently proven ineffective. Their contracts officially expire on October 31, and the possibility that both TV and film writers will strike by the beginning of next month has grown to terrifying reality. As far as the entertainment industry goes, the tension could not be any thicker right now.

Six years ago, the last time a Hollywood strike almost became a reality, the WGA and Screen Actors Guild both agreed to last-minute deals following extremely tough negotiations between the two parties and the AMPTP, the organization that represents American television and film producers. Crisis was averted in 2001, but this time, many insiders believe that a work stoppage is inevitable. The only question is, will it happen next month or by sometime next summer? All three labor unions involved, including the Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild of America, and the Directors Guild of America, seem to be stubbornly banding together this year and threatening to walk out entirely by next summer, meaning hundreds of thousands of film and television industry workers would be out of work.

The conflicts stem from the unions' belief that the current contract between them and the AMPTP must be updated to accommodate new media methods of distribution and sales. The WGA's current contract with the AMPTP expires on October 31, while the other two unions' contracts both expire in June 2008. The WGA has encouraged everyone to continue working until then, when a collaborative and collective strike on the part of all three parties would literally cripple the entertainment industry, with the hope being that the AMPTP would be forced to give in to union demands.

How exactly is this going to affect consumers? First off, a work stoppage such as this would lead to the complete halt of all production on movies and TV programs, at least those that require the aide of actors, writers, and directors. As a result, Hollywood has responded by crazily rushing projects into production so that they'll be prepared with new movies and TV shows to premiere during the anticipated strike period. More than 300 "pre-strike" movies have been given the greenlight, including the upcoming Justice League film and the next installments of the Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter. All of the major networks have also greenlit brand new scripted shows, including NBC's The Philanthropist, FOX's Queen Bee, and ABC's Section 8, to be produced as soon as possible, in order to avoid having to fill the airwaves with nothing but reality and game shows.

However, if the writers do decide to walk by November, instead of waiting until June, current TV projects and films that in production right now would come to a screeching a halt. Without scripts, production on new episodes of current TV shows would not be possible, and the public would be seeing their favorites in a repeat schedule very soon. Unlike last time, the WGA is adamant in their demands to be paid better for new media sales, and unwilling to bend to the AMPTP's lack of compromise. While a strike at the moment remains only a likely possibility, avoidable if the two sides are able to come to an agreement in time, it may very well be a good idea for Hollywood celebrities to plan on taking an extended vacation ... and for TV and movie fans to consider taking up a new hobby.