The first official day of the SAG-AFTRA strike began, and the participants immediately set their sights on one of the most egregious labor rights abusers in the industry, Warner Bros. discovery. Video filmed outside of Warner Bros. Studios. Studios on Friday showed how striking workers from the SAG and the already-strong WGA gathered in droves to picket for fair wages and conditions. The turnout for the march in front of the gates and along the roads in front of the buildings was overwhelming, with lines stretching up and down the sidewalks and pro-union posters everywhere.

“EXT. WARNING - DAY. Zaslav made a huge mistake”, TV reporter David Slack wrote on Twitter referring to the head of Warner Bros. discovery. David Zaslav. The CEO has hardly made any friends in the industry since leading last year’s merger and reaching the top of the corporate ladder. Shelving Bat Girl back in August 2022 pissed off many for wasting the hard work of everyone involved. He has also pioneered a recent move to remove content from streaming platforms to save on leftovers and lower taxes, a move that is seen as clearly anti-creative and anti-consumer that only continues to grow in popularity. It doesn’t help that he defended all of these actions with no remorse towards unfortunate creatives. Industry writers hate Zaslav so much that even his attempts at a rash opening speech were thwarted by the “pay your writers” chant.

The writers also acknowledged Zaslav and Warner Bros. Discovery by key forces opposed to their demands for acceptable wages and working conditions. Even after the WGA strike began, HBO ordered the showrunners back to work to do non-screenwriting duties in a desperate bid to keep the production going. When SAG-AFTRA goes on strike, Warner Bros. is still one of the studios looking for ways to keep going despite the restrictions. Thanks to many of Dragon Housethe cast is under the protection of local trade union Equity UK, not SAG, and filming for the second season is in full swing.

Image via HBO

Studios are starting to feel the sting of the double Hollywood strike

However, now that both actors and writers are leaving, it’s even more difficult for studios to keep things running smoothly. After the SAG strike, Deadpool 3 has ceased production for now, as Venom 3 and the second part Mission Impossible - Paying for Death. That’s not to mention everything that the WGA strike has already upstaged. However, studios are still finding ways to put pressure on writers and actors. FX stranger series like Dragon House, non-SAG members will be filmed during the strike. Many studios are also jumping to reality content to wait out the striking workers in the meantime.

Yesterday, SAG-AFTRA went on strike to get a fair deal with studios with higher pay, pension and health care contributions, and to regulate self-recorded listening, among other things. The same goes for WGAs, who are looking for fair pay for increased workloads and greater job security as each job gets shorter and more intense. While the focus may be on Hollywood celebrities, the vast majority of workers covered by these unions simply don’t earn enough for what they do, whether it’s a staff writer or a background actor. Both sides are also seeking protection from AI, which has become a growing problem in recent years as studios look for ways to create content without having to pay real people.

Read our full accounts of what the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes mean and what these groups are fighting for if you want to know more. Watch a video of the protest outside Warner Bros. Studios below.