Golden Globes'24: Why was 'Spider-Verse' actors' writers' skit special
The 81st Golden Globes kicked off the Hollywood awards season in style! At the ceremony, the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse stars, Daniel Kaluuya, Hailee Steinfeld, and Shameik Moore, took the stage to present the Best Motion Picture Screenplay award. They underscored the role of writers in filmmaking via a skit, recognizing the impact of the 148-day Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike in 2023.
Why does this story matter?
The WGA strike, which lasted almost five months, halted Hollywood as writers demanded better pay, improved working conditions, and safeguards against AI. The dispute was eventually settled through talks between WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)—representing studio executives. Golden Globes host Jo Koy didn't mention the strike in his monologue, and other than a brief mention by presenter Julia Garner, those on stage during the early portions of the event also remained quiet about it.
Actors engaged in awkward exchange scripted by studio executives
Kaluuya kicked off the segment by saying, "To show the importance of writers and writing, we requested this part be penned not by writers, but by studio executives." The actors then engaged in an awkward exchange scripted by studio executives, with Steinfeld stating, "I am...relatable. I am enjoy the Golden Globs (sic)," and Moore replying, "Here are these nominations for movie writing, for the movies."
Here's the video! Enjoy this banter
Who won the Best Screenplay Award?
After the skit, the French courtroom drama thriller Anatomy of a Fall clinched the coveted title of Best Screenplay. The honor was bestowed upon the talented duo, Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. The fiercely contested category included noteworthy nominees such as Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach for Barbie, Tony McNamara for Poor Things, Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer, Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon, and Celine Song for Past Lives.
Meanwhile, here's a detailed overview of writers' strike
A workforce of 11,500 unionized screenwriters initiated an industry-wide strike on May 2, asserting that the current streaming landscape's revenue fails to align with their income. After several days of intense negotiations, WGA and AMPTP finally reached a tentative agreement. The new deal promises enhanced pay, improved health insurance and pension contributions, and augmented compensation for series work, incorporating bonuses tied to streaming project viewership.
