The furor around the combined release of two mega-releases – Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer – has everyone on their anticipated ‘doll’ stance. From Barbenheimer and Oppenbarbie, and many more theatrical marketing techniques woven into social media, everyone seems to be in on the parade — except for those who truly make Hollywood what it is.
In the current state of Hollywood, tensions are running high, as demonstrated by actor Ron Perlman’s strong response to a report suggesting that studios are intentionally prolonging a strike to the point where writers could lose their homes. Perlman, known for his roles in movies like “Hellboy,” expressed his frustration in a passionate Instagram live video, which has since been deleted.
The film and TV industry, which had previously been disrupted by the pandemic, is once again facing a standstill. This time, the battle revolves around the impact of streaming on the entertainment industry’s economics, as streaming services rapidly advanced during the pandemic.
With the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joining the 11,000 Writers Guild of America screenwriters who have been on strike since May, tensions escalated further. The conflict intensified just as the film “Oppenheimer” was being released. Studio lots and streamer headquarters were flooded with striking actors and writers, leading Puck’s Matthew Belloni to describe the situation as Hollywood “burning to the ground.”
Why is Hollywood Protesting?
As per a report by CBS News, around 65,000 Hollywood actors have taken to the picket lines, bringing film and TV productions to a halt as they fight for higher pay and better protection in the era of streaming and artificial intelligence (AI). The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is leading the strike, seeking negotiations with major studios like Apple, Amazon, Netflix, NBCUniversal, Sony, and Paramount (CBS News’ parent company).
Actors are voicing concerns over their annual pay, largely reliant on residuals from movie and TV appearances, which has drastically decreased with the rise of streaming services. The shift to streaming has made it challenging for many actors to sustain a living, as they earn significantly less compared to traditional residuals payments.
SAG-AFTRA is demanding an 11% raise to baseline rates this year and an 8% raise over the next two years to compensate for the soaring inflation in recent times. However, the studios have countered with an offer of 5% this year and 7.5% in the following two years, leading to a major point of contention.
Streaming services have disrupted the payment structure for actors, as they no longer receive residuals each time their work is viewed. Instead, they receive lower upfront payments for their work’s availability on the streaming platform. This has adversely affected actors’ income, particularly those in supporting roles or without A-list status.
AI usage in creative projects is another key concern for actors. They are seeking strong protections against their likenesses being used to train AI models and assurances that they won’t be replaced by digital avatars. Background actors, in particular, fear being replaced by AI, as even small roles can be career-defining for them.
The studios have proposed scanning background performers, paying them for one day’s work, and then owning their likenesses indefinitely for any future project without consent or compensation. This proposal has been met with resistance, as it undermines actors’ rights and livelihoods, as per the report.
Can the Barbenheimer Save Hollywood, then?
The big question now is whether Hollywood’s three new blockbusters – “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” “Barbie,” and “Oppenheimer” – can drive a pre-pandemic level of excitement and success for the film industry, as opined in a report by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Early box office numbers suggest that “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” has performed well, raking in a solid $12.2 million so far. However, it faces fierce competition from two very different rivals – Margot Robbie’s star-studded “Barbie” comedy and Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic “Oppenheimer” featuring Cillian Murphy.
What’s interesting is that all three films have been released on the same day, creating a unique and crowded marketplace. Christopher Nolan, a renowned director, is thrilled with the competition and sees it as a promising sign for the industry’s revival.
The question remains whether this influx of blockbuster films can generate enough audience interest and box office revenue to bring back the pre-pandemic glory days for Hollywood. The film industry is eagerly watching how these movies perform and hoping for a successful hike in cinema attendance and overall excitement for the big screen experience.
Cinema executives are eagerly anticipating a stronger second half of the year, with hopes and, in some cases, prayers for blockbuster movies to drive ticket sales. So far this year, only “Super Mario Bros,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” have surpassed $25 million in earnings.
The national box office up to June 30 was $480 million, which reflects a 5.7 percent decrease compared to the robust ticket sales in the first half of the previous year, fueled by movies like “Top Gun: Maverick” and the state government’s Dine and Discover vouchers in New South Wales.
Comparing to the pre-pandemic box office in 2019, which reached $1.23 billion, this year’s numbers have declined by 23 percent. Despite the challenges, Damian Keogh, the chief executive of Hoyts cinemas, is optimistic that the release of the Big Three and other promising movies will boost ticket sales by 5 percent, potentially reaching close to $1 billion, as per the report.
Benji Tamir, the program manager for several cinemas, believes that the quality of movies is what drives box office success, and there is no reluctance among audiences to return to cinemas. While box office levels are currently on par with 2022 figures, which were 30 percent lower than those in 2019, Tamir remains positive. He notes that with the array of upcoming blockbusters and superhero films, audiences are still drawn to theaters in large numbers when the right film captures their interest.
Associated Press contributed to this report
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