COULD THIS BE THE END OF THE ACTOR’S STRIKE?

The striking Hollywood actors, represented by Sag-Aftra, have reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers (AMPTP) to end a four-month-long strike.

The agreement includes increases in minimum salaries, a new streaming participation bonus and more safeguards against the use of artificial intelligence to replicate members' images and voices. While some members have mixed emotions about the deal, the union's chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland has said there were 'definitely some tears, a lot of big smiles, a lot of hugs' when the agreement was reached.

The shutdown, combined with a separate writers' strike, caused the entertainment industry to grind to a halt, paralyzing major film and TV productions. Now that the strike is over, actors are eager to get back to work, with many welcoming the end of the strike, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Mandy Moore, and Octavia Spencer.

The three-year contract is worth more than $1bn, according to Sag-Aftra, and is expected to have long-term benefits for the members in the industry. With the help of negotiations, members secured a 'groundbreaking' agreement that will make a positive difference for the future of the union.