Tom Cruise rallies against AI while supporting striking actors union

2023-07-18

Tom Cruise’s new mission! Hollywood star rallies against AI as he lends support to striking actors union at negotiating session… after media mogul Barry Diller called on ‘overpaid’ actors to take 25% pay cut or risk ‘collapse’ of film industry

The 61-year old actor appeared during a Zoom negotiation session between SAG-AFTRA and he Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in June, according to The Hollywood Reporter
He made the appearance to try and get the AMPTP – which represents the film and television networks, studios and streaming services – to consider their points on regulating artificial intelligence (A.I.) in their work
While the guild has at times called on performers to join in the negotiations on issues they have expertise in, it is believed that Cruise is the biggest A-list start to participate in the negotiations to date

Before the actors in SAG-AFTRA went on strike last week, one of the industry’s biggest stars made a surprise appearance at a negotiating session: Tom Cruise.

The 61-year-old actor appeared during a Zoom negotiation session between SAG-AFTRA and he Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in June, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

He made the appearance to try and get the AMPTP – which represents the film and television networks, studios and streaming services – to consider their points on regulating artificial intelligence (A.I.) in their work.

Cruise – who stopped filming his latest Mission: Impossible movie after the strike was announced – also wanted to address his guild’s position on stunt performers.

While the guild has at times called on performers to join in the negotiations on issues they have expertise in, it is believed that Cruise is the biggest A-list start to participate in the negotiations to date.

This also comes just hours after media mogul Barry Diller said top movie stars like Cruise need to take a roughly 25% pay cut to help the industry survive.

Negotiator: Before the actors in SAG-AFTRA went on strike last week, one of the industry’s biggest stars made a surprise appearance at a negotiating session: Tom Cruise

Union: The 61-year-old actor appeared during a Zoom negotiation session between SAG-AFTRA and he Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in June, according to The Hollywood Reporter

Barry says: This also comes just hours after media mogul Barry Diller said top movie stars like Cruise need to take a roughly 25% pay cut to help the industry survive

Cruise also asked the AMPTP to allow actors to continue promoting their movies after the strike, due to the ‘fragile state of movie theaters’ after the COVID-19 pandemic.

He supposedly reminded the union that promotion of their movies is, ‘important’ to actors too.

One source who was at the meeting said that felt, ‘uncomfortable’ when it was happening.

The SAG-AFTRA strike rules explicitly prohibit, ‘conventions, interviews, tours or promotion via social media of any struck work or struck companies.’

SAG-AFTRA’s three-year contract with the AMPTP expired on July 1, however, an extension was agreed upon, with the new deadline being July 12 – the same date Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One hit theaters.

Even with 12 more days to find common ground, an agreement wasn’t reached by 11:59 PM PST on July 12.

That resulted in the SAG-AFTRA actors and other performers going on strike, joining the Writers Guild of America who had been on strike since May 2.

The AMPTP has still not returned to the negotiating table once since the WGA strike started, with many expecting this stalemate to last several months and could very well impact the fall TV season, awards season and more.

Tom asks: Cruise also asked the AMPTP to allow actors to continue promoting their movies after the strike, due to the ‘fragile state of movie theaters’ after the COVID-19 pandemic

Same day: SAG-AFTRA’s three-year contract with the AMPTP expired on July 1, however, an extension was agreed upon, with the new deadline being July 12 – the same date Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One hit theaters

As for Cruise, he was filming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, which is currently slated for release on June 28, 2024.

However, that date will likely change, since production has shut down after SAG-AFTRA went on strike last week.

Cruise was filming at Longcross Studios in Surrey before filming was shut down due to the strike, and while most of the filming was already finished, the film’s biggest international set piece had yet to be filmed, according to director Christopher McQuarrie.

‘We’ve shot all but one of our international locations. We’ve shot our big action except for the biggest set piece, the central set piece of the film, which is massive and unlike anything we’ve done, and, I think, unlike anything you’ve seen,’ he said.

The news about Cruise comes just hours after former Paramount CEO and Fox network co-founder Barry Diller suggested the entire film and TV industry could very well collapse without stringent changes to what he called a ‘perfect storm.’

The 81-year-old Diller appeared on CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday, where he suggested that top actors like Cruise take a 25% pay cut.

‘Everybody’s probably overpaid at the top end. The one idea I had is to say, as a good faith measure, both the executives and the most-paid actors should take a 25 percent pay cut to try and narrow the difference between those who get highly paid and those that don’t,’ Diller suggested.

While he didn’t mention Cruise by name, he is one of the highest paid actors, having earned over $1 billion in his career with a current net worth of an estimated $600 million.

Filming: As for Cruise, he was filming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, which is currently slated for release on June 28, 2024

Barry: The news about Cruise comes just hours after former Paramount CEO and Fox network co-founder Barry Diller suggested the entire film and TV industry could very well collapse without stringent changes to what he called a ‘perfect storm’

On Sunday, Diller told host Margaret Brennan that the entertainment industry faces an ‘absolute collapse’ if the strike doesn’t resolved soon and that people will start pulling their streaming subscriptions because ‘there will be nothing to watch.’

‘What will happen is, if in fact, it doesn’t get settled until Christmas or so, then next year, there’s not going to be many programs for anybody to watch,’ he said, adding that there should be a settlement deadline of September 1.

‘So, you’re gonna see subscriptions get pulled, which is going to reduce the revenue of all these movie companies, television companies, the result of which is that there will be no programs. And at just the time, strike is settled that you want to get back up, there won’t be enough money.’

‘You had Covid, which sent people home to watch streaming television and killed theaters,’ Diller said. ‘You’ve had the results of huge investments in streaming which have produced all these losses for all these companies that are now kind of retrenching. So at this moment, it’s kind of a perfect storm.’

Over $1.4 billion was raked in by Hollywood executives in 2021, up a startling 50 percent from 2018. Topping that list is Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav, who made over $498 million from 2018 to 2022.

The strike is the first time film and television actors have taken industrial action since 1980, and the first time two major Hollywood unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960.

The last time actors and writers joined forces against Hollywood’s executives was in 1960, when Marilyn Monroe was at the peak of her powers and Ronald Reagan was the head of the actor’s union.

Under the rules of a strike, SAG-AFTRA members would not be able to film any movie or TV series, take part in any press or film premieres or promote anything at this month’s San Diego Comic-Con.

Rules: Under the rules of a strike, SAG-AFTRA members would not be able to film any movie or TV series, take part in any press or film premieres or promote anything at this month’s San Diego Comic-Con

First time: The strike is the first time film and television actors have taken industrial action since 1980, and the first time two major Hollywood unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960

Their picketing has shut down production across the entertainment industry, plunging it into chaos.

The event comes three days after Bob Iger slammed actors for ‘not being realistic’ and ‘disruptive’ to the industry.

The Disney CEO, whose $27 million-a-year contract was extended Wednesday through 2026, discussed the pending SAG-AFTRA strike with CNBC’s David Faber Thursday on the network’s Squawk Box.

‘It’s very disturbing to me,’ the 72-year-old said, claiming that actors like Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence are ‘not being realistic’ about the compensation benefits they are asking for.

Meanwhile, over $1.4 billion was raked in by Hollywood executives in 2021, up a startling 50 percent from 2018.

Topping the list of those who took home the biggest salaries was Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav, who made over $498 million from 2018 to 2022.

His most lucrative year was in 2021, when he raked in a titanic $246 million. This windfall also came before his landmark merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery, in a deal worth in excess of $40 billion.

Zaslav’s haul that year was only beaten by Ari Emanuel, the CEO and director of expansive media conglomerate Endeavor Group Holdings, at $308 million. 2021 was also the year Endeavor hosted a successful IPO, sending his compensation soaring.

Bob: The event comes three days after Bob Iger slammed actors for ‘not being realistic’ and ‘disruptive’ to the industry

Emanuel’s salary topped $346 million over the same five-year timeframe of 2018 to 2022, through his company’s ownership of Hollywood’s largest talent agency alongside a slew of sports media companies including the UFC.

Data on the Hollywood rich list came from an LA Times analysis of research compiled by Equilar Inc. The research center also found Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has made $209 million since 2018, closely followed by embattled Disney chief Bob Iger at $195 million.

Iger was one of only two of the top 10 earners on the list who made more in 2018 than he did during the pandemic height in 2021, at $65 million and $45 million respectively.

Fox dynasty Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan each made $174 and $171 million respectively, who were beaten out by another Netflix executive Ted Serandos at $192 million.

SAG-AFTRA was demanding higher pay to counteract inflation, and guarantees for their future livelihoods.

In addition to salaries when they are actively working, actors earn payments called ‘residuals’ every time a film or show they starred in is aired on network or cable — which is particularly helpful when performers are between projects.

Under the rules of a strike, SAG-AFTRA members would not be able to film any movie or TV series, take part in any press or film premieres or promote anything at this month’s San Diego Comic-Con.

It will affect Disney’s Avatar and Lion King sequels, as well as shows that were scheduled to return to television in the fall, like The Simpsons.

SAG-AFTRA was demanding higher pay to counteract inflation, and guarantees for their future livelihoods.

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