CELEBRITY STYLE SPY: See all the latest celeb photos

Could strikes threaten the Oscars in 2009?

Print
Share
Comment

Lisa Kudrow supporting the writers strike, 2008 in pictures, celebrity photos, Marie Claire

Awards season is just around the corner, but Hollywood could face a second year of strikes and production stoppages.

After a catastrophic early 2008, which saw the Golden Globe Awards cancelled, the Screen Actors Guild - the union which represents around 120,000 performers, including many A-list actors - may well call another strike in early 2009. A vote take places next month to approve a walkout by the guild, who want to improve their contracts with the major film studios in Tinseltown.

The union's president, Alan Rosenberg, seemed to think a strike was a distinct possibility, telling reporters: 'SAG members understand that their futures as professional actors are at stake, and I believe that SAG members will vote to send us back to the table with the threat of a strike.'

Should the walkout go ahead, the Oscars, which is scheduled for broadcast on 22 February, could be cancelled.

Last year's cancellation of the Golden Globes came about when the Writers Guild stopped production in Hollywood and the estimated hit on the Los Angeles economy stood at around £1.9 million.

One well-known face, Danny DeVito, has urged fellow actors to avoid the strike, given the current economic climate. The guild require 75% of members to vote 'yes' to a strike in order for it to go ahead.

Votes will be posted on 2 January and counted on 23 January.