The union representing striking actors has said it could not agree to studios’ “last, best and final offer” issued over the weekend in a bid to end an actors strike that has gone on for the bones of 4 months.

SAG-AFTRA walked out in mid-July, six weeks after Hollywood writers went on strike over issues pertaining to residuals and AI.

Summer 2023 marked the first time that the two unions had headed to the picket lines simultaneously since 1960, when actor (and future US president) Ronald Reagan led the protests.

Writers struck a deal with studios in September. High-level talks between studios and the actors’ union began soon after.

Negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) have been mulling the studios' "last best and final" offer since Saturday, as studios seek to halt industrial action which has brought TV and movie production to a standstill for four months and cost the industry an estimated $6.5 billion.

In a statement to members posted on social media yesterday, the committee said they were determined  "secure the right deal and thereby bring this strike to an end responsibly”, but had not yet found common ground with the body representing Disney, Netflix, Warner, Universal, Paramount and Sony.

Dear #SagAftraMembers:

This morning our negotiators formally responded to the AMPTP’s “Last, Best & Final” offer.

Please know every member of our TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee is determined to secure the right deal and thereby bring this strike to an end responsibly. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/1PwqaoNXAJ

— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) November 6, 2023

“There are several essential items on which we still do not have an agreement, including (Artificial Intelligence)” the statement said.

“We will keep you informed as events unfold.”

Pressure has been rapidly mounting for a deal. Unemployed actors have increasingly been struggling to make ends meet, and studios already face gaping holes in their release schedules for next year and beyond.

Talks to reach a deal in recent days were attended by studio CEOs, underlining the urgency to end the crisis.

SAG-AFTRA represents some 160,000 performers. Actors who are not a part of Hollywood’s glitterati say it has become  to earn a decent living, as long-standing pay structures have failed to keep pace with inflation and industry changes.

In particular, the growth of streaming platforms – who typically order fewer episodes per series, and pay minimal “residuals” when a hit show gets rewatched – has severely eroded their incomes.

But the use of Artificial Intelligence – particularly the notion that an actor’s likeness could be used long after they have filmed a role – has been a sticking point.

In a previous round of talks, studios offered to create strict protections requiring consent and compensation for AI, but the actors’ union argued these did not go far enough.

Studios, who have already delayed the release of major films such as Dune: Part Two and the next Mission: Impossible instalment, are eager to restart productions on hit shows like Stranger Things in time for next year.

“I feel like we’re really close. But you know, these are complicated deals and we’re navigating tricky waters. Our goal is we want to get folks back to work.”

Last week, SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland told members he was “cautiously optimistic” after both sides compromised on minimum pay demands, and a bonus structure for starring in hit shows or films.

As it currently stands the SAG-AFTRA strike has gone on for 116 days.