In the midst of a writers’ and actors’ strike, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul try to make streaming platforms see “reality ».

 

After months of paralysis, the situation seems to be at a standstill in Hollywood, where the writers’ strike, later joined by the actors, is still in full swing. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are among the many stars who have joined the movement, mainly to support their less well-off colleagues. The two actors have been on the picket lines in front of major studios on several occasions, but they also regularly appear in the media to defend the cause. Interviewed on the spot by the Canadian version of Entertainment Weekly, Aaron Paul returned to the viral success that “Breaking Bad” has enjoyed since its arrival on Netflix, years after its broadcast on television. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t get a dime from Netflix for ‘Breaking Bad’. It makes no sense to me. Series live forever on these platforms. (…) I think a lot of these broadcasters know they’ve gotten away with not paying people what they’re worth, and it’s time they did. That’s one of the things we’re fighting for,” he said.

 

Also present, Bryan Cranston was more measured, wishing to reiterate that the streaming giants were not their “enemies”. “They’re not bad guys. They’re people we’ll all work with again at some point. We just want them to see reality,” he said, according to Deadline. He also added that “residuals”, the sums received by all artists and technicians who have participated in a project, with each broadcast in the U.S. or elsewhere, are used to pay their bills, as are DVD sales. “But these things have disappeared,” he lamented.

 

As a reminder, the writers’ strike was launched last May, on the initiative of their union, the WGA. After a month and a half without any real negotiations with the body representing the studios (the AMPTP), the SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, joined the movement. The aim of these organizations is to renegotiate the contracts used by these major studios, in order to adapt to the changes the industry has undergone in recent years. The subject of AI is particularly under discussion, as is that of streaming platforms, which are not subject to the same rules as other broadcasters. In the absence of an agreement, Hollywood is paralyzed and several productions are at a standstill, which has an impact on many theatrical releases, but also on the return of your favorite series.