If Producers Can’t Reach a Fair Deal, Comic-Con’s Going to Be Real Quiet This Year

Multiple studios and streamers are pulling out of their presentations at San Diego Comic-Con, one of the largest events in the world for comics, film, and TV. Normally, studios flock to Comic-Con to promote upcoming projects with flashy presentations, exclusive trailers, and star-studded panels. Now, thanks to floundering negotiations between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), SDCC 2023 may be largely bereft of the events and announcements that it’s known for.

Earlier this week, Marvel Studios announced that it would be skipping its annual Hall H presentation, opting instead to devote its attention to its space on the Exhibit Hall floor. The move came in spite of Marvel’s highly anticipated upcoming projects, including Loki season 2, Echo, and The Marvels. Now, Variety reports that Disney and Lucasfilm are also skipping Hall H, and HBO, Sony, Universal Pictures, and Netflix are forgoing their presentations, too. Other studios and streamers are adopting a “wait and see” approach, depending on how SAG negotiations go.

At the beginning of June, when SAG-AFTRA began contract negotiations with AMPTP, SAG members approved a strike authorization, which would allow the guild to strike if it failed to reach a satisfactory agreement with AMPTP. Now, with the negotiations’ June 30 deadline looming, it’s looking increasingly likely that the strike will happen.

At the heart of actors’ contract negotiations are higher wages and better working conditions, including concerns about the use of AI to create “digital doubles” of actors without their permission.

AI is also at the heart of the Writers Guild of America strike. The WGA strike has been going for almost three months, with profound impacts across the film and TV industry as numerous projects shut down development and production. Like SAG members, WGA members are fighting for better pay and working conditions, along with a commitment from studios to use human writers instead of AI.

What does a potential SAG strike mean for San Diego Comic-Con?

Often, the most exciting events at San Diego Comic-Con are appearances by A-list stars, and exclusive glimpses of upcoming films and shows. Some studios are reportedly still planning limited programming, but nevertheless, Comic-Con may feel like a very different event this year.

With fewer long lines to stand in for a coveted Hall H wristband, attendees may opt to attend smaller panels, or take a stroll down Artist’s Alley instead. However, if they’re disappointed by the absence of their favorite stars, they can channel that disappointment by supporting the WGA and SAG.

(Via Variety, featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)