Transcript: Lies, Whispers, Rumors: a Strike Struck
What a runaway tale about a top showrunner meeting with the WGA revealed about agents — and an industry's anguish
Sean McNulty (00:03):
Welcome to The Ankler podcast. This is Sean McNulty from the Wakeup newsletter here at The Ankler on Thursday, September 14th. Joined in Los Angeles as always by Elaine Low and Richard Rushfield, who not only brought back a Hooters t-shirt from TIFF, but also a little bit of TIFF flu there. Richard, are you doing all right?
Richard Rushfield (00:22):
A passing stomach bug. You've got to come back from the festival with some sort of-
Sean McNulty (00:26):
With something. Yeah, exactly.
Richard Rushfield (00:29):
... little piece of you missing.
Sean McNulty (00:31):
I had a couple other friends who came back to New York not feeling so great. So glad to see that the film festival traditions are holding tight there. Elaine, I know you bet your whole Ankler paycheck on Aaron Rodgers getting a season passing record this year, but just not to be. You doing okay there?
Elaine Low (00:47):
This is football, yes?
Sean McNulty (00:51):
Okay, fine. Maybe our guest here today, we have another member of The Ankler family here, Peter Kiefer. Peter, did you understand that reference? I'll put it that way.
Peter Kiefer (01:00):
I did, I did. I was watching the hard knocks and Jesus, I mean just tragic, absolutely tragic. I say that as a Cal Berkeley alumni. So it's particularly, particularly painful for us Bears.
Sean McNulty (01:17):
There you go. So Richard, we had another week of investment banker conferences. I know you're very excited about that. Goldman last week, B of A this week.
Richard Rushfield (01:26):
How's the food?
Sean McNulty (01:28):
Did not get a food, that was oddly not part of the coverage. So clearly they were lacking from your presence.
Richard Rushfield (01:32):
Oh, that's journalism.
Sean McNulty (01:33):
Exactly. The more top studio execs taking the stage. A little more the CFO variety this week. And Richard, it's funny, whenever they're being interviewed by Wall Street analysts on the stage there and whenever they ask them about the strike they're kind of like, "I hate to ask you this," as if this isn't a big part of their business or something.
(01:52):
It's almost like the tone of it it's very interesting to hear Wall Street don't want to upset the studio people by asking about their strike.
Richard Rushfield (02:02):
It's not a legitimate issue for captains of industry to be bothered with. Don't disturb their day with these peasants marching on the sidewalks in front of their beautiful studio.
Sean McNulty (02:14):
Yeah, sorry lord about the people outside your castle gates, but we do have to acknowledge them. But again, Richard, once again the same well wishes and platitudes that are just increasingly, if not even 100% disconnected with where the reality is at this point. Shocking for Wall Street, I know.
(02:33):
But you wrote and I want to touch a little bit in your column to start here and then we'll get on to Peter and Elaine's pieces, which was just a really fascinating read. And then of course the AMPTP put out a note saying the WGA had reached out to them I think yesterday, Wednesday saying they wanted to meet. So they are going to put something together next week. A date TBA, but they're going to get back in a room. More details there to come.
(02:59):
It's almost devolving to be like the playground, where, "It's your turn?" "No, it's your turn." It's kind of baffling. Where's your head at right now?