The answer seems obvious; they want a bigger cut of the money the studios make on movies. Behind that request is an assumption that one can make a decent profit in movie-making when paying creators as much as they ask. But, if this is the truth, why no one does it already? With modern technology, the entry threshold is lower than ever before. Hot cash is burning the pockets of angel investors. Why are they not jumping on the opportunity? If actors and writers are correct, the free market does not work in the movie-making industry. Why? Why does no one in the media ask that the strikers?
Isn’t it just their desperate move in front of AI revolution which will make them just replaceble (or at least less valuable)?
Yes, AI will replace many of them. There is no way to stop progress.