Johnny Depp and Kierra Knightly support Golden Globes boycott

Hollywood Oscars are under threat as studios lose $millions

Article by Patricia Harper

Tuesday 8th January 2008, 17:31

Hollywood actors are standing firmly behind the writers that are striking to abort the Golden Globe awards which was due to be staged in Hollywood on January 13^th – instead a press conference will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverley Hills, California.

The conflict has seen 90% of Hollywood writers striking for more than 2 months forcing the cancellation of the annual Golden Globe Awards telecast after gaining support from a large group of movie and television actors who refused to appear on the show.

the Writers Guild of America are claiming a victory, writers are in the 10th week of a strike against film and TV studios over pay for work used on the Internet. The cancellation raises questions about the Feb. 24 Oscars telecast by Walt Disney Co.'s ABC.

the awards, honoring the year's best film and TV performances are staged by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, announced the decision yesterday in an e-mailed statement. The program was set to air Jan. 13 on General Electric Co.'s NBC.

The US film industry are talking of major concerns for the staging of the Oscars which are due to take place in Hollywood in two months time – Donald McIntyre of Paramount pictures said “If this problem doesn’t get resolved soon, we will be looking at one of the worst disputes that Hollywood has ever seen”.

``The Golden Globes has always been a bellwether for the Oscars,'' he said “Heads will roll if this doesn’t sort itself out”.

Writers walked off the job on Nov. 5. They are trying to pressure studios to return to the negotiating table by forcing studios to enter into separate agreements and by denying the Golden Globes a waiver to use writers and film clips for a televised show, they’re message is being delivered loud and clear.

David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, have reached a separate labour agreement with United Artists, the film studio led by actor Tom Cruise and his partner, Paula Wagner.

Letterman returned to the air on Jan. 2 with CBS Corp. together with his writers, while Jay Leno returned to NBC on the same date without his writing staff.

Talks between the guild and the studios' negotiating unit, the Association of Motion Picture broke down when they last met on Dec. 7.  

Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Develop Corp and Television Producers, said that the strike has cost the Southern California economy $1.4 billion.

According to Kyser. That includes $179.6 million in lost pay to writers and $309.6 million in lost wages to other unionised  workers in the industry.

The Screen Actors Guild said last week that its members would honor picket lines at the Golden Globes.

The cancellation will add to the strike's economic impact. The Golden Globes generate $50 million to $70 million in local spending, according to. The Academy Awards ceremony adds about $130 million to the economy, he said.

The figures are based on an estimate of employees' lost spending power and lower studio expenditures with small businesses such as caterers, he said.

``A lot of these firms are struggling to stay in the business,'' Kyser said.

Shares in General Electric, based in Fairfield, Connecticut, fell 11 cents to $36.08 at 10:43 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Before today, it had declined 10 percent since the strike began. Disney, with headquarters in Burbank, California, gained 22 cents to $31.38 and is down 8.1 percent since the walkout.

The situation could be made a lot worse by the news released today and again in the future if the problem is not resolved at the time when the Oscars are due to take place. A spokesman said that a return to work is expected after the next round of talks where both parties hope to reach a compromise.

Next rounds of talks are due to take place on Jan 17^th in Los Angeles

 

Comments
Be THE first to comment on this article.
Post Comment Title Comment Name Email