Several blockbuster productions, including Gladiator 2 and Deadpool 3, currently filming in Malta and London, have been shut down due to the ongoing cast strike. And the cost of closing is huge. According to a new report from Variety, the cost of maintaining a soundstage that includes a movie set is estimated at $600,000 per week.
Actors are currently on strike, joining striking screenwriters and WGA union members after talks between SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood studios stalled last week. The actors' union has demanded higher pay for actors, especially royalties for streaming productions, and better regulation of the use of artificial intelligence to copy actors' images.
Ongoing costs to studios may help speed up negotiations, but Hollywood bosses are standing their ground. "[The unions] have a level of expectation that is unrealistic. They are exacerbating a set of challenges that the industry is already facing and, frankly, very damaging," said Bob Iger, Disney's chief executive, whose reported revenue this year is $27 million.
Deadpool 3 is currently scheduled for release on May 3, 2024, while Gladiator 2 is scheduled for November 22, 2024. The shutdown could delay their release.
