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On the 99th day of the Hollywood strike, picketers can be seen scattered along a busy road outside Universal Studios. Despite the intense heat, one woman stands out from the crowd, dancing and whooping at passing cars. Universal Studios has not been the easiest location for strikers, with the studio trimming trees along strike routes to deprive picketers of shade and construction work blocking off sidewalks at another entrance. Despite the challenges, the unions have shown their strength with a massive demonstration involving over 1,200 strikers. Cheech Manohar, a writer and actor, who is now working as a strike captain, remains optimistic despite the strikebreaking activity from Universal. He believes that these strikes are crucial for the survival of Hollywood careers, as they are being targeted by streamers and studios.
Manohar and other Hollywood writers argue that the streaming revolution initiated by Netflix in 2007 has greatly impacted their profession. While top writers and showrunners earn substantial amounts, others are left earning significantly less. Data from the Writers Guild of America reveals that weekly pay for writer/producers has declined by 23% in real terms over the past decade, despite rising studio profits. Additionally, the majority of actors earn less than $27,000 per year. One of the reasons for the pay decline in the writing profession is the shorter seasons on streaming platforms compared to traditional TV, which used to have healthy royalties for writers. The writers are fighting to bring those royalties back.
Young writers and actors are highlighting that the old TV model allowed them to make a living in Los Angeles, but those days are now gone. The strike is not for the A-list celebrities, but for the vast majority struggling to launch their careers in an industry that is stacked against them. Despite the challenges, the writers remain hopeful and optimistic about the outcome of their perseverance. The strikes are not limited to picketing during the day; they continue to meet and support each other in various ways, creating a stronger bond within the writing community. The impact of streaming and the future disruption caused by AI make it difficult to predict the outcome, but the new generation in Hollywood remains determined to challenge a system they believe is no longer effective. As negotiations continue, there is a sense of positivity in the air, with a less hostile tone between the writers’ union and the studios. Whatever the results, the writers feel they have built a stronger, more united creative community through this experience.
Christopher Grimes is the FT’s Los Angeles bureau chief
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