Two film industry unions have agreed to a proposed contract from Hollywood movie and television studios in a tentative deal that would eliminate the threat of an actors’ strike for at least three years.
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) reached the agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) after more than two months of negotiations.
The agreement announced early Sunday would increase benefit contributions to health and retirement funds by 10 percent, bringing the total contribution rate to 16.5. Wages would increase by six percent over the three-year span of the contract.
“We met our goal of increasing contributions to our retirement and pension plans,” AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon said in a statement. AFTRA represents 70,000 professional performers, broadcasters and recording artists.
SAG President Ken Howard added that strengthening the pension and health plans was a top priority in negotiations. SAG represents 125,000 actors.
The contract also promises expanded union coverage over new media productions.
The deal would become effective in July after current contracts expire. It must first be approved by a joint board for the unions. After that, the contract would be sent out to the unions’ memberships for a vote.
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More