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Hollywood Actors’ Union Notes Disagreements with Studios’ Offer, Including AI 

The SAG-AFTRA building, home to the US labor union that represents film and television actors, singers, and other performers, is seen in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 2023. (AFP)
The SAG-AFTRA building, home to the US labor union that represents film and television actors, singers, and other performers, is seen in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 2023. (AFP)
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Hollywood Actors’ Union Notes Disagreements with Studios’ Offer, Including AI 

The SAG-AFTRA building, home to the US labor union that represents film and television actors, singers, and other performers, is seen in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 2023. (AFP)
The SAG-AFTRA building, home to the US labor union that represents film and television actors, singers, and other performers, is seen in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 2023. (AFP)

The Hollywood actors' union on Monday responded to the latest offer from the major studios and streamers, saying they have yet to reach agreement on several items, including the use of artificial intelligence.

The SAG-AFTRA union posted a message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, saying its negotiating committee is determined to secure the best deal and bring a responsible end to the strike.

"We're at a critical point in our industry," the union said. "We need a fair contract to make sure this career is viable now AND in the future."

SAG-AFTRA members walked off the job in July to demand higher compensation in the streaming TV era plus protections around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other gains.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney, Netflix and other companies, presented what the studios described as their "last, best and final" offer on Saturday, SAG-AFTRA leadership said in an update to members.

Last week, union leaders expressed "cautious optimism" that a deal could be reached soon but also said there were gaps between the two sides on various issues including the use of AI. Actors are seeking assurances that their digital likenesses will not be used without their permission.

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‘Mufasa’ and ‘Sonic 3’ Rule First Weekend of 2025

Director Barry Jenkins at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King." (AFP via Getty Images)
Director Barry Jenkins at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King." (AFP via Getty Images)
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‘Mufasa’ and ‘Sonic 3’ Rule First Weekend of 2025

Director Barry Jenkins at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King." (AFP via Getty Images)
Director Barry Jenkins at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King." (AFP via Getty Images)

The Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa” claimed the No. 1 spot on the North American box office charts over the first weekend of 2025.

The photorealistic “Lion King” prequel earned $23.8 million in its third weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” which has dominated the past two weekends, wasn’t far behind.

“Sonic 3” stayed close with a 3-day estimate of $21.2 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $187.5 million and helping the overall franchise cross $1 billion worldwide. “Mufasa’s” running total is slightly less, with $169.2 million.

In third place, Focus Features’ “Nosferatu” remake defied the fate of so many of its genre predecessors and fell only 39% in its second weekend. Horror films typically fall sharply after the first weekend and anything less than a 50% decline is notable.

“Nosferatu,” which added 140 screens, claimed $13.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its running total to $69.4 million since its Christmas debut. The film, directed by Robert Eggers, already surpassed its reported production budget of $50 million, though that figure does not account for marketing and promotion expenses).

No new wide releases opened this weekend, leaving the box office top 10 once again to holdovers from previous weeks. Several have been in theaters since Thanksgiving. One of those, “Moana 2,” claimed the No. 4 spot for Disney in its sixth weekend in theaters. The animated sequel earned another $12.4 million, bumping its global total to $960.5 million.

The Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” dipped only slightly in its second weekend, bringing in $8.1 million. With $41.7 million total, it's Searchlight's highest grossing film since Disney acquired the company in 2019.

A24’s drama “Babygirl," which added 49 locations, held steady at $4.5 million.

Another Thanksgiving leftover, “Wicked,” rounded out the top five. Universal’s movie musical was made available to purchase on VOD on Jan. 31, but still earned another $10.2 million from theaters. The movie is up for several awards at Sunday’s Golden Globes, including nominations for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, best motion picture musical or comedy and “cinematic and box office achievement,” which last year went to “Barbie.”

Also in theaters this weekend was the IMAX re-release of David Fincher’s 4K restoration of “Seven,” which earned just over $1 million from 200 locations.

The 2025 box office year is already off to a better start than 2024, up around 20% from the same weekend last year.