Hollywood jumped into planning mode Thursday at the news of between striking actors and the major entertainment companies.
After 118 days of most productions shut down and most stars unable to promote projects, publicists, studios and awards strategists went into hyperdrive plotting out how to best use their newly available talent for
Just hours after the tentative agreement was announced, was already being offered to press for interviews. The Walt Disney Co. movie, which cost over $200 million to produce, opens this weekend with showtimes starting as early as Thursday afternoon. Searchlight Pictures also started actively planning things for Michael Fassbender, who stars in Taika Waititi's out next week.
One of the top priorities for the industry is getting actors back on set, whether for major blockbusters like 鈥淕ladiator 2鈥� or 鈥淒eadpool 3" to try to salvage the 2024 movie release calendar that's already been impacted by the six-month stretch during which
Others were scrambling to kickstart promotion for holiday movie season blockbusters, with now able to talk about 鈥淲onka鈥� and on the hook for 鈥淎quaman and the Lost Kingdom.鈥� Both had been announced as the next two 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� hosts before the agreement was reached.
strategists will also be looking at schedules as studios and publicists try to make up for lost time in telling the stories of their Oscar and Emmy hopefuls.
Although the agreement still has to be approved by Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists members, there was widespread relief that the standoff would not continue into 2024. President Joe Biden applauded the agreement, saying that 鈥渃ollective bargaining works.鈥�
鈥淲hen both sides come to the table to negotiate in earnest they can make businesses stronger and allow workers to secure pay and benefits that help them raise families and retire with dignity,鈥� Biden said Thursday. 鈥淪AG-AFTRA members will have the final say on this contract, but the sacrifices they鈥檝e made will ensure a better future for them, their families, and all workers who deserve a fair share of the value they helped create.鈥�
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the tentative agreement 鈥渨ill benefit our economy statewide and kickstart a new wave of exciting projects.鈥�
He added: 鈥淚 am thankful that we can now get this iconic industry back to work, not only for our writers and actors, but also the more than two million workers who power our world-class entertainment sector.鈥�
who co-starred in wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he was proud of 鈥淪AG for continuing to fight for the livelihood of every actor.鈥�
鈥淎s someone who used to live below the poverty line, hauled ass to auditions and struggled to live, I have experienced firsthand how these things matter,鈥� Lui wrote. 鈥淏ravo and see you on set!鈥�
Albert Brooks, also on X, wrote that he could finally tell people to watch the documentary about him. His friend Rob Reiner directed 鈥淎lbert Brooks: Defending My Life,鈥� which premieres Saturday on HBO and Max.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait for you to see it,鈥� Brooks wrote. 鈥淐ouldn鈥檛 say a word until now!!鈥�
wrote on Instagram that she鈥檚 鈥渞eady to work now that the strike is over鈥� and that she was proud to 鈥渟tand in solidarity with all SAG members over the last 118 days.鈥�
鈥淎bbott Elementary鈥� creator and star wrote 鈥渨e鈥檙e very back鈥� in her Instagram. Brunson鈥檚 writing team had already been back in the room, but the strike鈥檚 suspension clears the way for filming.
Some, like Justine Bateman, were a little more cautious.
鈥淟et鈥檚 look at the terms first," she wrote on X.
The holidays will surely be busy for Hollywood's top actors, especially awards hopefuls. Several contenders have had interim agreements that have allowed and 鈥淔errari,鈥� but others will be starting fresh with their actors hitting the campaign trail including Bradley Cooper鈥檚 Leonard Bernstein film 鈥淢aestro,鈥� with Carey Mulligan, with Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo, 鈥� with Jeffrey Wright, Ridley Scott鈥檚 鈥淣apoleon,鈥� with Joaquin Phoenix, and 鈥淭he Color Purple.鈥�
Others are already in theaters or streaming but can now play catch-up too like with Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert DeNiro, Alexander Payne鈥檚 鈥� ,鈥� with Paul Giamatti, and 鈥� ,鈥� with Annette Bening and Jodie Foster.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
