CHICKASHA — Have you ever been in a theater watching a movie when the film broke and had to be spliced back together? That’s essentially what has happened here.
The film and televisions writers and actors strike has suspended production on the feature film “Twisters,” Jim Cowan, president of the Chickasha Economic Development Council, confirmed.
Ironically, the work stoppage occurred at nearly the same time the City Council extended the temporary closure of four blocks of streets for another month.
The council on June 5 authorized the closure of two blocks of South 17th Street, between W. Iowa Avenue and W. Dakota Avenue, and two blocks of W. Minnesota Avenue, between South 16th and South 18th streets, for almost four full weeks: from June 6 through July 1. Then the council approved an extension of the closures through July 14. And on July 17 the council voted to extend the closures again, this time through Aug. 14.
However, while the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began its strike on May 2, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the writers on the picket lines July 14. It was the first time in more than six decades – since 1960 – that both unions went on strike at the same time.
The unions went on strike after their contracts expired with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the association that represents media companies.
As a result, big screen and TV productions have ground to a halt. Writers have been out of work for nearly three months and actors have walked off sets.
The strike has affected not only Hollywood but also Chickasha, where Dirt Road Films has been working on “Twisters.” It’s an update of the 1996 disaster epic “Twister” co-written by prolific author Michael Crichton and starring Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
The lead actors in “Twisters” are Glen Powell, who portrayed Lieutenant Jake “Hangman” Seresin in the blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” and co-starred in the film “Devotion,” and Daisy Edgar-Jones, who starred in “Where the Crawdads Sing” and the miniseries “Normal People.”
Perhaps 300 to 500 personnel have been on the set at one time or another during the production, Chickasha officials were told. Presumably many of them have eaten, slept, or bought gasoline in Chickasha at some point during that month and a half.
Southwest Ledger placed telephone calls July 20 and 21 to an onsite contact listed on the film permit, and sent an email message July 21 to a woman identified as a point-of-contact for information about Dirt Road Films’ work in Chickasha, but neither person responded.
At the core of the disagreement are two types of technology that have had a major impact on the way content is made: artificial intelligence (AI) and streaming.
Writers and actors alike are fighting for contracts that prevent AI from replacing them at their jobs, whether it’s writing scripts or appearing as a background actor. They’re also looking for better pay when working on shows for streaming services. Many productions, including “Twisters,” remain in limbo until both unions reach an agreement with the AMPTP.