It’s a shame! Disney CEO Bob Iger says demands of writers and actors 'not realistic'

After the failed negotiation between SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers), thousands of Hollywood actors will go on a strike and will join the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike on the picket lines. Following the unsuccessful negotiation, Disney chief executive Bob Iger has reacted to the actor and writer's strike, and called it “very disturbing.'' Iger also added that itwill have a “very, very damaging effect on the whole business.”

Speaking to CNBC’s David Faber, Iger commented on the worrisome situation of the ongoing strike and its effect on the entertainment business.

Read Idgar's statement here:

“It’s very disturbing to me. We’ve talked about disruptive forces on this business and all the challenges we’re facing, the recovery from COVID which is ongoing, it’s not completely back. This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption,” Iger said, as perVariety.

Explained | The implications of SAG-AFTRA strike, and what lies ahead

“I understand any labour organisation’s desire to work on behalf of its members to get the most compensation and be compensated fairly based on the value that they deliver. We managed, as an industry, to negotiate a very good deal with the directors guild that reflects the value that the directors contribute to this great business. We wanted to do the same thing with the writers, and we’d like to do the same thing with the actors. There’s a level of expectation that they have, that is just not realistic. And they are adding to theset of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.”

Further, Iger, whose contract as Disney's CEO has been extended, said that he respects their right to compensation for their people, but he added that they must “be realistic about the business environment, and what this business can deliver.”

Iger continued, “It will have a very, very damaging affect on the whole business, and unfortunately, there’s huge collateral damage in the industry to people who are supportive services, and I could go on and on. It will affect the economy of different regions, even, because of the sheer size of the business. It’s a shame, it is really a shame.”

SAG-AFTRA — Hollywood's largest union — ended talks with studios without a fair deal. The union’s contract with the studios expired at midnight.

In a statement quoted by Deadline, SAG-AFTRA said, "SAG-AFTRA’s Television/Theatrical/Streaming contracts have expired without a successor agreement. After more than four weeks of bargaining, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — the entity that represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros. Discovery — remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that are essential to SAG-AFTRA members."

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