The labor conflict that has immobilized the film mecca spreads to several cities and begins to affect filming in other countries.
Thanks to initiatives such as the film law 108-10 to Promote Cinematographic Activity, in recent years, the Dominican Republic has become the epicenter for filming international productions.
According to data offered by the Dominican President, Luis Abinader, during his second-last State of the Nation speech, in 2022 alone, 125 films were filmed on stages in the country, of which 65 were foreign, contributing more than RD $ 15,000 million to the local economy.
International producers are attracted by the natural landscapes and local infrastructure, as well as the 25% Transferable Tax Credit of all expenses related to the pre-production, production, and post-production of a project.
However, this growth could be affected by the incessant strike of Hollywood workers, which has already led to the cancellation of several projects due to the lack of agreements.
The labor conflict that has paralyzed Hollywood has spread to other cities, with writers and actors holding rallies in Philadelphia and Chicago.
Although Los Angeles and New York are the main centers of strikes, there are dozens of medium and small unions across the country representing actors and screenwriters.
These effects are already being felt outside the United States, and the Dominican Republic has not escaped this reality.
Pinewood Studios, located about 70 kilometers east of Santo Domingo, are being affected by the Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG-AFTRA) strike, the first in 63 years that coincides with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. Albert Martinez, executive director of Lantica Media, Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios, addressed the issue during an interview with the Efe agency.
“85% of Lantica Media’s revenue comes from large Hollywood projects, while the remaining 15% is divided between British, Canadian, and, to a lesser extent, local productions,” said Martinez. In Pinewood RD, two productions have been paralyzed due to the strike. In the case of the first, “we have sent everyone back to the United States,” the other has experienced a delay in filming.
Martinez expressed uncertainty about when an agreement will be reached and mentioned that, in the meantime, they are working on local and other non-union projects from other parts of the world and on a smaller scale.
Strike Spreads
Despite the current situation, Martinez is optimistic, as he believes that the large producers and distributors know the market in the Dominican Republic and is confident that they will return with more strength once the strike is resolved.
Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in DR, during the filming of the film The Lost City.
The dispute between Hollywood actors and screenwriters, who are currently on strike, and the big studios is a “lost fight” that could cause damage of 4,000 million dollars in the US economy, according to experts consulted by the Efe agency.
Mutism among Dominican film entities
Diario Libre contacted both the Cenema General Directorate (DGCine) and the Dominican Film Association (Adocine) asking their representatives to send information of grant interviews about the impact of the strike on the industry in the country, but up to publishing this article, they had not responded.
Some of the biggest blockbusters currently in production include Ghostbusters 4, Mufasa: The Lion King and Avatar 3 and 4, according to the Internet Movie Database.
The artists’ strike will halt a large part of the production work and wreak havoc on their premieres.
Duration of the strike
Analyzing the duration of other Hollywood strikes in the past, Robert Thompson, entertainment specialist, professor at Syracuse University (USA) and founder of the Bleier Center for Television, considered it “very complicated” to try to predict how long this situation will last, but predicts that it could last several months.
“There is no sign that the strike will end anytime soon. To tell you the truth, I don’t think it will be resolved in September. There doesn’t seem to be any shift in that direction,” he explained.
Klowden is a little more optimistic about it and sees a chance that the strike ends at the end of August to avoid more severe effects on the schedules of filming and production of more titles.
“I think there will be a push by everyone to at least get closer to some kind of deal, even if it’s in the short term,” Klowden noted.
The expert even assessed that unblocking negotiations between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA would make the WGA also reach an agreement.
Keys to demands
• The actors demand the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), higher remuneration in the compensation that artists receive every time a streaming service broadcasts their work and salary improvements, among other demands.
• The Alliance of Film and Television Producers (AMPTP) counters the petitions claiming that the industry is not yet fully recovered from the COVID 19 pandemic.
Will Hollywood’s double strike affect Netflix?
In its recent second-quarter earnings announcement, Netflix reported that it has added nearly six million additional customers and projects a $1.500 billion increase in free cash flow by 2023. This increase is due to the reduction in costs derived from the strikes of writers and actors.
However, Netflix shares fell 8% during the announcement, as Wall Street expected even better numbers and there are concerns about how this double strike will affect the company in the long term.
According to international media reports, Netflix is in a more favorable position than other media giants to face the near paralysis of the industry. During the second quarter, production in Los Angeles fell to levels not seen since the start of the pandemic. In addition to being an indispensable platform, Netflix has the advantage of being present and producing in many other countries besides the United States, unlike its competitors.
Last April, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, reminded investors that they had a broad base of series and movies to release around the world, which would allow them to better serve their members than most companies.
To further complement its catalog, Netflix is benefiting from Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to license its content to reduce losses. This means that we will soon be able to see on Netflix Spain series that were previously exclusive to HBO, such as “Insecure” (confirmed for August 1), “Ballers” and the emblematic “True Blood”.
There is no sign of the strike ending anytime soon. To tell the truth, I don’t think it will be resolved in September. There doesn’t seem to be any shift in that direction. University Professor Robert Thompson
Nexflix series and movies shot in Dominican Republic
The streaming platform Netflix has shot three movies and two series in the Dominican Republic. Based on the Single Filming Permit (PUR), the approximate total budget amounts to RD $ 3,795 million, equivalent to about US $ 69 million.
In 2015, the Caribbean soil was the setting for the filming of the action-adventure film “True Memoirs of an International Assassin”, directed by Jeff Wadlow. It had a budget of approximately RD$757,668,219, about US$13 million at the exchange rate of the day. Filming premiered a year later and featured actors Kevin James, Andy Garcia and Zulay Henao.
“The I-Land” was the platform’s first series shot in the Dominican Republic in 2018 and released in 2019, directed by Jonathan Scarfe and Neil Labute. It had a budget of RD$696.9 million, about US$12.6 million. The series tells the story of 10 people stripped of their memories and forced to remain on an island, struggling to survive in a hostile environment.
The post-production series “SurinameK,” by Korean producer Jong-bin Yoon, also used Caribbean soil to recreate the South American country of Suriname in the Dominican Republic. Currently, the production budget is expected to be submitted to the Dominican General Directorate of Cinema (DGCine).
Another of Netflix’s productions in the Dominican Republic is “Matz”, directed by American director David Fincher, winner of more than 18 awards as a director and producer, including a Grammy Award and a Golden Globe. This film production is pending budget submission to the DGCine.
During filming, the National Institute of Transit and Land Transport (Intrant) reported the closure of some avenues for more than 13 hours. A biopic about long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimm
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