The issues behind possible Hollywood writers strike that could halt film, TV production

Anousha Sakoui:

Yes, I mean, it's an interesting point, because there's apparently never a good time to be making these kinds of asks.

I mean, the writers are asking for a package of increases and improvements that are valued at around $600 million a year. But they come at a time when studios are being hit with restructuring and layoffs. Disney, for example, is laying off thousands of people.

They're investing less in production and in content. But the writers argue that the studios remain profitable compared to recent years, and they're still looking to invest something like $19 billion in streaming in 2023.

We have also seen headlines about, like, Apple and Amazon wanting to dedicate a lot more money towards street towards stream — towards releasing the movies in theaters, for example, so expanding their content dedication, if you like.

So, there, writers are arguing that, actually, studios are in a good state to pay them what they want.

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