The strike aftershock
Verified In 2023 the Writers Guild of America was on strike from 2 May to 27 September, and SAG-AFTRA actors from 14 July to 9 November. For months, most scripted US production stopped. The writers' new contract included rules on the use of generative AI, and the actors' agreement set consent and compensation terms for digital replicas.
Analysis Because films and series take a year or more to move from shoot to screen, a pause of several months does not disappear. It shows up later as thin stretches in release calendars, crowded catch-up periods and series with longer gaps between seasons. When a headline treats a delay as a sign of trouble with one project, it is worth asking whether the strike timeline explains it more simply.
AI in the contract, not just the conversation
Verified The 2023 guild agreements made artificial intelligence a matter of written labour terms rather than speculation. Specific provisions are published by the guilds themselves, and we link to those primary documents rather than summaries when reporting changes.
Analysis The more useful question for readers is no longer whether AI will be used in production, but under what agreed conditions. Expect future negotiations, and future headlines, to focus on enforcement and definitions.
The theatrical window and the screening room
Verified Before 2020, major studio films commonly played exclusively in cinemas for around three months before home release. During and after the pandemic, many studios shortened that exclusive period, and some released films on streaming and in cinemas at once before returning to theatrical-first strategies.
Analysis Windows are now negotiated title by title. A short window is not automatically a vote of no confidence; it can reflect a marketing plan built around a single campaign. Festivals such as Cannes, Venice and Toronto, meanwhile, remain where much of the critical conversation about a film first forms, even when it will mostly be watched at home.
What a "hit" means now
Verified Box office figures are tracked publicly by services such as Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. The Motion Picture Association and the BFI publish market statistics. Streaming performance is reported by platforms themselves and by measurement firms using differing methods.
Analysis Box office reports revenue; streaming charts report attention. A film can earn less in cinemas than its budget and still be considered valuable to a platform for the subscribers it attracts, which outsiders cannot directly observe. We therefore avoid declaring "flops" from opening weekends alone, and we say plainly when the data needed to judge success is not public.
Representation and the awards conversation
Verified Since the 2024 ceremony, films competing for Best Picture at the Oscars have had to meet the Academy's representation and inclusion standards, published on oscars.org.
Analysis Debate about these standards is often louder than their practical effect, since the criteria can be met in several ways, including through crew and training programmes. Reading the actual criteria is the quickest way past the noise.