According to SAG-AFTRA, the classic witch cat is an acceptable Halloween costume, but Catwoman? Probably no. Taylor Hill – Getty Images
Disney princesses. Marvel villains. Boys-wizards. Perhaps some kind of doll dressed in pink. All are closed to actors and creative workers taking part in the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes that have brought Hollywood to a standstill this year, with stars urged not to give studios any free promotion while negotiations take place.
Halloween is traditionally a time when celebrities go viral for their outfits, with parties hosted by pop star Taylor Swift and supermodel Heidi Klum attracting worldwide attention.
However, as the holiday approaches, SAG-AFTRA wants to ensure that none of its senior members are inadvertently promoting certain content by dressing as characters whose rights are owned by Hollywood studios.
Union members are currently banned from promoting any new films and TV shows, which has led to stars boycotting or walking out of the premieres of their latest blockbusters.
In a “Halloween Guide” message released by SAG-AFTRA this week, the union said: “This Halloween, we wanted to make sure our members didn’t accidentally break strike rules and put together some quick tips on the do’s and don’ts of ” This is for customs.
Participants were asked to “choose costumes inspired by generic characters.”
and action figures (ghost, zombie, spider, etc.)” – meaning dressing up as a spider is greenlit, but dressing up as Sony’s Spider-Man probably won’t.
“Dress up as characters from non-fiction content, such as an animated TV show,” the guide continued.
If participants really couldn’t resist dressing up as characters from a major movie or television series produced by a studio, SAG-AFTRA instructed them not to post photos of their costumes on social media.
“Let’s use our collective power to send a loud and clear signal to our impacted employers that we will not promote their content without a fair contract,” the guidance states.
Actors’ strike continues
Tensions between talent and studios began when the Hollywood Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike in May. The writers refused to work for five months until they reached a three-year contract guaranteeing their salaries, the terms of streaming agreements and guarantees for the use of AI.
At this time, SAG-AFTRA also announced that its members would be a colorful lineup of notable faces, including Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, breaking Bad Bryan Cranston and Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain join the vigil.
The actors union SAG-AFTRA, which has about 160,000 members, is on strike over the same issues as its fellow writers: pay, working conditions and concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in the film industry. Actor Aaron Paul said that despite Breaking Bad a huge success on Netflix, he doesn’t see a penny in income.
Negotiations between the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) are still ongoing, with celebrities including George Clooney, Ben Affleck and Scarlett Johansson reportedly making a $150 million offer this week to help end the strike.
“Generous concept”
A rep for Clooney confirmed to Reuters that the $150 million offer, spread over three years, would be used to fund improved health benefits for SAG-AFTRA members.
However, while SAG-AFTRA called the concept “a generous concept… worthy of consideration,” it suggested the plan would not resolve the fundamental differences between the parties.
“This is not and will not be in any way related to this contract or even as a subject of collective bargaining,” the organization said in a statement Thursday. “It’s actually prohibited by Federal Labor Law.”
Contract negotiations between the Hollywood union and the studios broke down last week.
AMPTP, which represents Netflix and Disney as well as numerous other major studios, said in an Oct. 11 statement: “After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too wide and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction.” .
A week later, SAG-AFTRA accused the AMPTP of attempting to “sow division” among members by “distorting our proposals and attempting to manipulate public sentiment.”
“Our call is simple. AMPTP, it is time to negotiate sincerely, valuing our contributions and strengthening the industry that protects everyone in it,” the union said. “We have subsidized the development of a streaming model with reduced rates and low or no balances. It’s time to share the success we helped achieve.”