Bob Iger “personally committed” to strike solution and studio improvement

Disney CEO Bob Iger has revealed he is “personally committed” to ending the strikes in Hollywood.It comes after Iger called the striking actors and writers’ demands ‘not realistic’ while at a billionaire’s retreat last month

The ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14 and is the first time that actors initiated a labor dispute in America since 1980 and the first time that both actors and writers went on strike at the same time since 1960.

‘That includes actors, writers, animators, directors and producers,’ Iger, who left Disney in 2020 only to return two years later, said.

“It is my fervent hope that we quickly find solutions to the issues that have kept us apart these past few months,” he said (via Deadline). “And I am personally committed to working to achieve this result.

“Nothing is more important to this company than its relationships with the creative community – that includes actors, writers, animators, directors and producers. I have deep respect and appreciation for all those who are vital to the extraordinary creative engine that drives this company and our industry,” he added.

The ongoing SAG-AFTRA Strike, now in its twenty-sixth day of protests, have seen many well-known actors showing solidarity on the picket lines including Richard Gere, Jason Sudeikis, Susan Sarandon, Vanessa Hudgens, Mandy Moore, Logan Lerman, America Ferrera, and Josh Gad.

The dispute centers around wages, use of AI and residuals from streaming services such as Disney+.

‘We currently expect fiscal 2023 content spend to come in at approximately $27 billion, which is lower than we previously guided due to lower spend on produced content, in part due to the writers and actors strikes,’ Iger stated.