NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Scarlett Johansson stars as the lead in Wes Anderson's upcoming film 'Asteroid City', which is about to be her first entry into the director's idiosyncratic cinematic universe. The film sports a star-studded cast, including Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston, and Rupert Friend.
During the New York premiere of 'Asteroid City' on Tuesday, June 13, the cast, comprised of A-list celebrities, shared their thoughts on the ongoing writers' strike in Hollywood. Since May 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been engaged in a strike, raising concerns and demanding changes on several fronts. These include fair compensation for writers from streaming media and addressing the impact of artificial intelligence on the field of screenwriting, which has caused disruptions in the industry. The looming possibility of an actors' strike has the potential to create chaos in the marketing strategies of several highly anticipated film releases, including Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' and Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie'.
'It’s important for all of us creatives to unite'
"Whatever happens moving forward will forever change how revenue is determined," Johansson told Variety. "It’s a thing that has needed to happen for a long time, that we’ve been talking about for a long time, and it’s finally reached this breaking point. It’s important for all of us creatives to unite and support this massive shift so we can get over to the other side, which we will."
"This experience in the Wes Anderson film really taught me how wonderful it is to be around human beings," said Bryan Cranston. "To have a group of people come together both above the line and below the line and work together. To dine together. To get to know each other and still do the work. It was a full, encompassing experience. Right now, at this juncture in our business, AI presents a threat to social interaction and social interaction is often the germ for ideas that become creative content. Go through any studio or network right now. It’s quiet. It’s empty. Six people are in the building. The mood is down. It doesn’t feel active, alive or creative. The less people you have actually involved, literally the less human it becomes. And the less interesting it’s going to become."
'I stand with the writers 100 percent'
Adrien Brody added, "These are very important issues that affect all of us. There is lots of technology, which is a concern and I understand that. We are all here hoping for all the great minds to align and find a resolution that works for everyone." Rupert Friend said, "Streaming and everything it brought was an amazing addition to our business. I think that certain things weren’t addressed (when streaming began) that do need to be expressed now and they are to do with fair recompense for writers. I stand with the writers 100 percent. They are the originators of content and they should be rewarded fairly."
'Asteroid City' is a delightful science-fiction comedy that takes place in 1955 America. The film is scheduled for a limited release in the United States on June 16, and it will subsequently have a wider release on June 23, allowing more audiences to enjoy the whimsical and entertaining story.
