SAG claims studios wanted to scan background actors and own their likeness forever

SAG-AFTRA strike — (Image credit: Getty Images News)

The SAG-AFTRA actors' strike has just kicked into gear, which, combined with the WGA writers' strike, has left Hollywood pretty much at a standstill.

One of the issues that has been a sticking point for both unions is AI, and, in a press conference, SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland spoke more about the studios' alleged proposal.

"That 'groundbreaking AI proposal' – they proposed that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get paid for one day's pay, and their company should own that scan, their image, their likeness, and should be able to use it for the rest of eternity, in any project they want, with no consent and no compensation," he said. See the remark at around 25:45 in the video below.

At the moment, it's unclear how long the SAG-AFTRA strike will last – the WGA strike has been going since May with no sign of progress.

Some productions, however, will still be able to film despite the dual strikes. One of these is House of the Dragon season 2; cameras are still rolling thanks to the fact that the majority of the cast is from the UK and with the Equity union (due to UK law, Equity members cannot strike in solidarity). The show also continued to film after the writers' strike was called as scripts were already completed at the time.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, meanwhile, wrapped filming ahead of the strike – but movies like Gladiator 2 and Mortal Kombat 2 will have to suspend filming.

You can keep up with what's still coming this year with our guide to all of 2023's major movie release dates.

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.