Tom Hanks backs striking Hollywood writers, comparing the current streaming era to the early 1980s when he took action over the rise of home video | US News

May 16, 2023 TruthUSA

Tom Hanks has voiced his support for Hollywood writers striking in the US.

The 66-year-old actor, who is currently touring to promote his debut novel The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, said his industry was at “an evolutionary crossroads”.

Hanks said he is standing in solidarity with the writers and will also be on strike to champion the cause.

On Monday, he appeared at an event in Los Angeles to discuss his novel, during which the actor compared the current strike with those of the 1980s.

There were several strikes by actors and writers during the decade and Hanks is understood to have participated in at least one of them.

During the event, the Cast Away actor drew parallels between streaming services and the rise of home video in the 80s.

The 1980 Hollywood actors’ strike was over demands for a share of the income made from film and TV series being released on VHS and other media.

“That was because there was something coming down the pipe… there was this new thing coming, a new revenue stream – it was home video,” Hanks said.

“VHS had been invented and they knew there was going to be this pipeline of cash that had never existed in the business before. It was coming and they wanted to work out what that was going to be.”

‘I am on strike’

Hanks said there are “economic realities” of streaming that will affect the industry in a similar way to what happened when video boomed.

He added: “It’s been about this understanding that a new thing was coming down – let’s figure out what that pie is.

“I think we all now know the economic realities of streaming. We are at an evolutionary crossroads as far as how that pie (will affect the industry).”

“And when I talk about the pie I’m talking about the new place that society is in, in which there are so many options for entertainment, that this ‘new concept’ is that we all now have to want to do something very unique, that used to be very standard in our lives.”

He continued: “The unique thing is we leave our house, drive to a place, be there at 7.45pm, park the car, buy a ticket, get the Diet Coke and sit in a room of strangers to watch a movie.

“That now is farther down the food chain than it used to be.

“So, I am a member of every guild there is and I am on strike because this is going to have to be determined.

“Not just for the future of the bread and butter issues that affect us all but also for the arts and sciences of motion pictures.”

What are the demands?

The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show, and less exclusivity on single projects, among other demands, conditions which they argue are necessary due to the growth of content during the streaming era.

Over 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) recently went on strike after negotiations, which began in March between studios and the writers, had failed to result in a new contract before the writers’ current deal expired.

The strikes have already affected many TV shows and films, including:

• Season five of Stranger Things
• Season three of Yellowjackets
• Season six of The Handmaid’s Tale

Other actors across Hollywood have also backed the strikes.

Earlier this week, Jane Fonda told Sky News she and her fellow cast members in Book Club: The Next Chapter are “very supportive” of the action.

“We understand why they’re striking – the business is very different than it used to be, it’s hard to earn a good living in this business nowadays,” Fonda said.

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