With SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, two unions that represent Hollywood’s actors and writers respectively, engaging in a workers’ strike against the AMPTP, the union representing most of the major studios and streamers, the majority of Hollywood has been effectively shut down for the last two or so months. The strike not only affects films and television shows in production but also prohibits actors from participating in press events and interviews, with this year’s Comic-Con feeling the effects of this.
However, despite Hollywood losing millions of dollars with each passing day, the strike has been a silver lining for one particular type of film. While big-budget projects loom in limbo, independent feature films actually benefit from the major work stoppage.Winston Cho from The Hollywood Reporter writes, “[i]ndependent productions not affiliated with the AMPTP members can apply for waivers from SAG-AFTRA to continue production,” which protects most low-budget productions during the interim period.
Unlike the big studios in tinsel town, indie films lack the endless resources it takes to withstand a months-long work strike. These work waivers allow indie movies to continue production in an increasingly sparse movie market, where actors, crew members, and theaters are all desperate for quality work. In many ways, this industry-wide strike could help transform the state of film as we know it today.
Reviving the Indie Movie Market
While some indie-type films, such as Luca Guadagnino’sChallengers, have experienced delays in their festival releases due to the strike, other films have gained waivers from SAG-AFTRA to continue production and press work as originally planned. The films that received waivers represent the marginalized films that would have otherwise struggled to exist in a monopolized industry.
Though Martin Scorsese’sKillers of the Flower Moonappears threatened by the lack of press ahead of its release, Lily Gladstone was able to participate in press work for another film,The Unknown Country.Brian Welk from Indiewire explains, “The Unknown Countryis exactly the type of movie SAG-AFTRA would love to prove is still possible outside of the studio system.”
Related:Hollywood Strike: What Happened the Last Time the Writers and Actors Went on Strike Together?
These waivers also emphasize that both SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are not unreasonable in their attempts to strike against the studios, as many independent productions are more than capable of meeting their demands. This ultimately puts more pressure on the studios to come to terms with their counterparts. The more indie movies continue to flourish, the more money big studios continue to miss out on.
The longer the strike lasts, the greater these effects will take hold and further disrupt the studio system. Hypothetically, if studios continue to delay releases and indie features continue to be released as scheduled, the market will soon beflooded with original contentfrom artistically diverse voices. While the strike negatively impacts some of the fan favorites, the disruption ends up being a win for this specific type of art.
Improving the Theater-Going Experience
The strike comes at a time when the cultural pendulum is rapidly shifting to the other side. As audiences grow weary of sequels, reboots, and franchise money grabs, the strike offers an opportunity for alternatives to the action blockbuster to break through the box office.
Take Barbenheimer weekend, for example. The opening weekend of Greta Gerwig’sBarbieandChristopher Nolan’sOppenheimerattracted audiences to theaters in record numbers. This monumental weekend had positive side effects as smaller indie titles such as the A24 horror sensationTalk to Me, Wes Anderson’s new meta-comedyAsteroid Cityand the quirky summer camp comedyTheater Campalso experienced prominent box office success.
For the first time since the pre-pandemic times, theaters are full of quality movies from a diverse set of genres, tones, and art styles, and this has sparked some to assess that cinema has finally returned to form.
Related:10 Career-Defining Performances in Independent Films
This has undoubtedly been welcomed as a well-received change of direction as far as movies go. The oversaturation of superhero movies and Disney remakes brought into question which films actually belonged in the multiplex. While many industry pundits have been quick to declare the demise of cinema, the year of 2023 has been strong in proving the naysayers wrong.
Thesuccesses of Barbenheimer,Asteroid City,Talk to Me, andTheater Campsignify that audiences' film appetites are hungry for more than just Marvel tentpole movies and four-part cinematic universes. EvenTalk to Medirectors Daniel and Michael Phillippou from RackaRacka YouTube fame turned down an opportunity to direct a Marvel film in favor of creating their own stories first. Audiences and filmmakers alike are all searching for more original content.
As the film industry continues to shapeshift and evolve, the actors and writers strike offers opportunities for change in more than one way. It comes at a time when audiences and filmmakers are hungry for new types of movies and movie genres. It signals the necessity for diverse theater offerings. And it aids an independent movie industry that has been in need of fostering and protection for the last few years.
