Support for the strikers
Steven Spielberg donates $1.5 million
Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg provide financial support to striking filmmakers.
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US director Steven Spielberg has supported the Hollywood strikers with a generous donation of $1.5 million.
Screenwriters in Hollywood have been on strike for 134 days. The members of the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA have now been in industrial action for 61 days. In view of the financial hardships faced by filmmakers in the USA, legendary director Steven Spielberg (76) and his wife Kate Capshaw (69) have now donated 1.5 million US dollars (the equivalent of around 1.4 million euros) to the financial hardships of the strikers in the film and series industry in the USA. This is reported, among others, by the industry magazine “Variety”.
US stars donate millions to strikers
The generous donation went to two financial support programs for filmmakers, the Entertainment Community Fund and the actors union SAG-AFTRA’s Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program. The money should be used to pay basic living costs for the strikers, such as rent, food and health insurance.
Spielberg and his long-time wife are among a number of Hollywood celebrities who have financially supported those affected by the strike in recent weeks and months. Previously, superstars George Clooney (62) and Matt Damon (52), three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep (74) and many other big stars also distinguished themselves with generous financial donations.
Hardly any movement in the Hollywood double strike
The fronts between the striking unions SAG-AFTRA and WGA on the one hand and the producers and studios association AMPTP appear to continue to harden. Although representatives of authors and producers sat down at the negotiating table several times in August, an agreement has not yet been reached.
In fact, the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have not yet resumed negotiations to resolve the strike since SAG-AFTRA announced the start of the work stoppage on July 14 of this year.
Numerous film and series productions are affected by the double strike in Hollywood. For example, the eagerly awaited blockbuster “Dune: Part 2” with stars Timothée Chalamet (27) and Zendaya (27) has been postponed until next year. Popular series such as “Grey’s Anatomy” will return to screens with new seasons later than expected, and major events such as the 75th Emmy Awards have also been postponed. The awards ceremony, originally planned for September 18th of this year, is now scheduled to take place on January 15th, 2024.