Hollywood strike matches the 100-day mark of the last writers' strike in 2007-2008

Associated Press
Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023 12:14 p.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023 12:14 p.m.

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A tour bus passes a picket sign outside Paramount studios on Wednesday, July 26, in Los Angeles. The actors strike comes more than two months after screenwriters began striking to get better pay and working conditions.

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Writer Julie Benson holds a picket sign with an image of the late actor and comic Paul Reubens, dressed as his character Pee-wee Herman, outside Universal Studios on Tuesday, Aug. 1, in Universal City, Calif.

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A picketer walks past an advertisement for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” outside Paramount studios on Wednesday, July 26, in Los Angeles.

NEW YORK — The Hollywood writers strike reached the 100-day mark on Wednesday, matching the length of the landmark 2007-2008 strike. The milestone comes as the U.S. film and television industries remain paralyzed by dual strikes by its actors and screenwriters.

There’s no foreseeable end — a negotiating session last week involving Hollywood studios and streamers and the striking workers ended with little progress. Special Writers Guild of America pickets calling attention to the 100th day are being held in New York and Los Angeles.

Television networks are a month away from starting a new fall season, and broadcasters have already put contingency plans in place for programming that excludes their most popular scripted series.

The writers guild strike began May 2. Hollywood’s actors in SAG-AFTRA joined them on strike July 14. It’s the first dual strike since 1960, and issues at play for both unions include the use of artificial intelligence and residuals related to streaming.