With two days to go before the expiry of SAG-AFTRA’s current contract, both sides are reportedly considering extending their negotiations until next week according to Deadline.
That extension could run until July 7th, according to the outlet. The news comes in the wake of a letter signed by high-profile actors, including union president Fran Drescher, that went public this week.
The number of names on the letter has grown, with the likes Pedro Pascal, Charlize Theron, Ewan McGregor, Joaquin Phoenix and Jamie Lee Curtis joining the swell of those who’ve signed – raising it from 300 signatures to over 1,000 in less than a day.
The letter promises they are “prepared to strike” if the guild doesn’t “get all the way there” in its talks with studios and streamers. The public release of that letter has reportedly complicated the tone of the talks.
Extensions of this kind are not uncommon and previously took place in both 2014 and 2017. The aim of this extension is “so that everyone gets past the holiday”. With July 4th falling on Tuesday next week, some in the U.S. are taking Monday off for a four-day holiday weekend.
The ongoing writer’s strike has seen a major slowdown of film and TV production. A strike by actors now would bring film shoots to a standstill worldwide.
Films like “Beetlejuice 2,” “Bad Boys 4” and “Minecraft” among others are racing to film as much as they can before a potential actor’s strike goes into effect.
