SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
The strike against Hollywood studios and streamers hits a hundred days tomorrow. Striking performers are not allowed to work or promote their movies and shows. And as NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports, their union, SAG-AFTRA, has some spooky new guidelines.
MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE: To support the strike, SAG-AFTRA recommends strikers avoid dressing up in Halloween costumes of characters from struck shows and movies. That means no dressing up like Wednesday Addams from Netflix, no Marvel superheroes.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE MARVELS")
IMAN VELLANI: (As Kamala Khan) We're a team?
TEYONAH PARRIS: (As Monica Rambeau) Oh, no, no, no, no, no. We're not a team.
BRIE LARSON: (As Carol Danvers) We're not a team.
DEL BARCO: And no Barbie and Ken.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "BARBIE")
RYAN GOSLING AND MARGOT ROBBIE: (As Ken and Barbie, singing) Closer I am to fine.
RYAN GOSLING: (As Ken) I'm coming with you.
DEL BARCO: "Barbie's" distributor, Warner Bros., is one of the studios that broke off contract negotiations last week. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said they had been making progress with the union.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TED SARANDOS: But then at the very end of our last session together, the Guild presented this new demand that, kind of on top of everything, broke our momentum, unfortunately.
DEL BARCO: SAG-AFTRA says its revenue sharing proposal would only cost the streamers $0.57 a year per subscriber. This week actor George Clooney and other A-listers tried to come to the rescue, offering to pay higher union dues and to be last in line to get residuals. On Instagram yesterday, union president Fran Drescher thanked them but said union lawyers shot down the residuals offer.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
FRAN DRESCHER: So although we appreciate the effort, we are still waiting for the CEOs to return to the table.
DEL BARCO: And as they wait, the guild suggests striking members choose more generic Halloween costumes - ghosts, zombies and spiders. Mandalit del Barco, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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