Tom Cruise Met With SAG-AFTRA To Comment On Actors Strike, AI And Stuntmen

Actor Tom Cruise requested a meeting with SAG-AFTRA, the union leading actors on their strike for better working conditions. Cruise asked to discuss several of the actor’s concerns about AI and the working conditions presented by film stunt performers.

Since July 13, actors joined forces with writers in the strike against various Hollywood studios. The strike caused several productions to halt their filming processes, which will take a long time, considering that both parties did not reach a consensus.

Tom Cruise Debated On Actors Strike With SAG-AFTRA

Source: The Wrap

The Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning star met with the SAG-AFTRA organization, which is leading the protests over working conditions for striking actors. Actor Tom Cruise commented on the working conditions for actors, stunt performers, the strike, and even the use of AI in movies.

With this, SAG-AFTRA added another proposal to present to the studios to reach an agreement. In the conversation with Cruise, he stressed that stunt performers should have better conditions. Also, the actor must authorize the use of his image by AI or CGI and receive compensation for it.

Cruise was one of the few actors who tried to contribute so that the situation could end and film developments could continue. He was the first artist of that stature to have direct contact with the union and wanted to contribute ideas to resolve this conflict and lead to a profitable agreement for all.

The actor also discussed other points with the union group, including the issue of film promotions. Let’s remember that SAG-AFTRA banned all striking actors from promoting in any way the films they have developed, and they will not even be allowed to go to events such as Comic-Con.

Cruise Thinks Actors Should Promote Films

Image: Paramount Picures

In the meeting with the union, Tom Cruise stated that the striking actors should be allowed to participate in the promotional activities of the productions they participated in. That is because it also affects them economically and the film industry.

The actor emphasized that the movie industry still needs to be at 100% after the movie theatres debacle during COVID-19. Cruise said that the industry is still very fragile and that, despite having recovered a little, the situation is still delicate, and not promoting the movies is a mistake.

It is worth noting that Tom Cruise will soon enter this process in the latest Mission Impossible movie. The actor will be the protagonist of this last part which consists of 2 movies with many emotions and stunts. That would imply that he has a personal interest in transmitting this film.

While Tom Cruise comments on the actors’ strike, SAG-AFTRA has not yet reached any official agreement with the movie studios and streaming platforms. Picketing will continue at the various studios, and some union representatives may even speak out about it. However, the situation remains the same, and the conflicts continue and are likely to worsen before they get better.

The previous strike lasted five months. The question in the air is how long this one will last. The processes happened in 1960, and despite the pressure on the actors, they were victorious. Even so, the studios seem to be looking for a long-term fight due to the comments of several executives.

Image Via: Paramount Pictures