HBO boss: Actors joining writers' strike will be troublesome for all parties

Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and streaming platform HBO Max, was asked in a recent interview with Variety about public concerns surrounding the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike and the upcoming SAG-AFTRA strike.

In the interview, Bloys stressed the important role that writers and actors play in the industry and hopes for a solution that recognises their value and encourages them to return to work.

“It’s going to slow everything down,” he said. “It’s a big hassle for everybody, for all parties. It’s not a lot of fun to think about having to deal with, having to figure this out as an industry.”

He further predicted that audiences will begin to notice the effects of the strike in 2024.

Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the American Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers are scheduled to end on July 12 local time. If an acceptable agreement is not reached, SAG-AFTRA will vote overwhelmingly in favor of a strike, which will begin on July 13.

Strikes by writers and actors guilds have made the outlook for American and European TV series even more grim. GameSpot recently reported that the number of TV shows canceled so far in 2023 is almost as many as in all of 2022. This adds to the uncertainty of the industry's future.

In addition to discussing the strike, Bloys also touched on the schedule for the American Emmy Awards, saying he would prefer it to be held in November, believing the strike issue could be resolved by the end of the year.