Hollywood studios have hastened production on movies and TV shows in anticipation of walkouts by actors and screenwriters next year over what many believe will could be long contract negotiations.
Contracts with the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild are set to expire in May and July of 2001.
Key issues include pay for work appearing on cable television and in overseas markets and compensating for work distributed on the internet.
Writers also are demanding studios abandon the practice of giving directors credit by saying, "a film by," which writers feel diminishes their contributions.
In preparation for a potential walkout, studios are beginning to stockpile material by storing scripts and increasing the number of movies being made.
Hollywood foresees walkouts
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.