Actors are being warned against dressing up as characters from films or TV shows this Halloween.
The union SAG-AFTRA told its members that any such costumes would help promote content created by studios with which the actors have a dispute.
“Choose costumes inspired by generic characters and figures (ghost, zombie, spider, etc.),” SAG-AFTRA says in a message to its 160,000 members. He added that they should not “post photos of costumes inspired by amazing content on social media.”
“Let’s use our collective power to send a loud and clear message to our impacted employers that we will not promote their content without a fair contract!”
Costumes are expected to be based on characters from Barbie And Wednesday will be one of the most popular Halloween costumes this year. Last year’s highlights included Lizzo dressing up as Marge Simpson and Diddy as Heath Ledger’s Joker from the series. The Dark Knight.
SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, began a strike on July 14 due to an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Negotiations between the two sides resumed on October 2, but broke down again on October 11 when the studios said the talks were “no longer moving us in a positive direction.”
The two sides have so far been unable to reach an agreement on the deal, with SAG-AFTRA demanding higher wages, a share of streaming revenue and protection from artificial intelligence copying of actors’ images and voices. Production on most American films and television shows at major studios has been suspended since the strike began.
The Writers Guild of America, the American union representing screenwriters, also participated in the strike in recent months, but that dispute ended on September 27.
According to Hollywood Reporter, On October 17, a Zoom meeting was held between union leaders and a group of leading Hollywood stars, including George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson and Robert De Niro. The actors suggested that people on higher incomes could pay more union dues, which they estimate would bring in $50 million (£41 million) a year.
In response to this proposal, SAG-AFTRA stated: “This generous concept is worthy of consideration, but it is in no way related or will have any relationship to this contract or even as a subject of collective bargaining.”