It's over: the longest actors' strike ever. What does it mean for us?

It's been the longest Hollywood shutdown in history, but on Nov. 10, 2032, the American actors' union announced that its board had voted to approve a new contract with studios. Read on to learn about the deal, and what it means for your favorite TV shows and movies...

Unlike the writers' union, the deal was not unanimously backed. It won the support of 86% of the union's board. Even so, Variety reports that the members are widely expected to back the deal.

While actors are officially allowed to get back to work, the strike isn't quite over. Members will receive all the details this week and by Dec. 5, the ratification process should be concluded. If that happens, it means years of stability for Hollywood going forward.

The actors' union was happy with some parts of the deal. Most notably, background actors' day rates will rise from $187 to $207, while all actors will see at least a 7% pay increase. Overall, the deal includes more than $1 billion in new wages and benefit plans over the next three years.

The new deal means states that there will be some protections against artificial intelligence. However, if actors agree and are fairly compensated, studios will be able to create "digital replicas" of celebrities. "If we didn’t get those barricades, what would it be in three years?” asked SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher.

In the age of #MeToo, the union also argued about the need to contract professionals to guide intimate scenes to ensure that everyone involved is comfortable. It also includes a promise to have hair and makeup people who know how to style diverse casts.

Drescher, best known for starring in 'The Nanny,' boasted of her negotiation skills when presenting the deal. “For me, the whole thing, the weight of it all, was extremely stressful,” Drescher said about the lengthy negotiations. “We went to the press and said, ‘What are they doing? What are they waiting for? Are they trying to smoke us out?’ Well, honey, I quit smoking a long time ago. So I think they finally realized they were facing a new kind of leadership in me and Duncan [Crabtree-Ireland]."

Drescher reflected on her unique negotiation tactics: "I shared Buddha’s Wisdom with them in the room. I tried to put it into the context of the importance of what we were doing, the enormity of what we were discussing that didn’t end in this room, but actually was going to impact all of humanity."

Despite the celebrations, union leaders acknowledged they didn't get everything they wanted. One of the main concessions was to renounce the fight for a share of streaming revenue. "We're not over. We're only just beginning," added Drescher.

“We are also grateful that the entire industry has enthusiastically returned to work,” the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said in a statement, adding that it was "pleased" by the board vote.

The end of the actor's strike may not be as immediately notable as the end of the writer's strike, which saw several shows pop back on air after months of absence. But here's what you can expect.

On Saturday, actor Timothée Chalamet hosted Saturday Night Live and celebrated the end of the actors' strike, emphasizing that actors can finally talk about their movies again. "Come with me and you'll be in a world of shameless self-promotion," the 'Wonka' star sang to the tune of the song Pure Imagination.

Image: Saturday Night Live/Youtube

Although actors were banned from promoting films during the strike, you may not have missed them too much on talk shows, as they still found ways to get on TV. For instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger did a tour promoting his self-help book. Judi Dench has been on the circuit talking about Shakespeare.

Image: The View, Oct. 2023/Youtube

Such is the case of 'Dune: Part Two,' which was supposed to be release in November. Filming had concluded and everything, but Warner Bros pushed back the launch until the high-profile actors could promote the film. Its new release date for March 2024 should not get pushed back.

Image: Dune: Part Two | Official Trailer/ Warner Bros. Pictures/Youtube

Several highly anticipated movies had to stop shooting because of the actor's strike. One of those films includes Deadpool 3, which was about halfway done filming. It was slated for release in May 2024, but Ryan Reynolds hinted it will now be out in summer. What we do know for sure is that Jennifer Garner and Hugh Jackman are coming back as Elektra and Wolverine.

Image: Deadpool, 20th-Century Fox

Yes, Ridley Scott was halfway through directing the sequel to his hit historical drama film when the strike came and ruined everything. This one won’t star Russel Crowe, but instead Paul Mescal as Lucius. Other big names to watch out for include Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal. It was scheduled for Nov. 2024, and with the strike ending, that seems doable.

The superhero vampire hunter is heading to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in this highly anticipated film — but when?! It was first slated for release in November 2023 but was put on hold because it needed to switch directors. It was then going to be released in Sept. 2024, but the strike pushed it back until Valentine’s Day 2025 and now November 2025! But starring the Oscar-winning Mahershala Ali as Blade, many fans are willing to wait.

It takes more than saying “Beetlejuice” three times, but it seems like the film will still be able to meet its original premier date for Sept 2024. Director Tim Burton told The Independent it was just "a day and a half" from being done when the strike was called. It's set to star Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and the original Beetlejuice Michael Keaton.

Image: Beetlejuice, Warner Bros.

James Cameron’s upcoming ‘Avatar’ sequels are suffering massive delays. Because of the strikes, the third film is supposed to come out in Dec. 2025 (from Dec. 2024). The fourth has been pushed back to the very end of the decade — Dec. 2029, up from Dec. 2026. The fifth and final sequel is now supposed to come out in Dec. 2031, three years later than originally planned.

Image: Avatar Way of Water, 20th Century Studios

Anthony Mackie will take the helm as the new Captain America in this installment. Filming began in March 2023, with others like Liv Tyler joining the cast. It was supposed to be released July 2024, but the latest release date is scheduled for Valentine's Day 2025.

The live-action/CGI version of this 2002 Disney movie started filming in Hawaii and April but the strike shut down production. Starring Maia Kealoha as Lilo and the same voice actor playing Stitch as in the original, fans can also look forward to appearances from people like Zach Galifianakis. When? It's still up in the air.

Image: Lilo & Stitch | Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride | Disney/Youtube

Tom Holland's Peter Parker is supposed to be coming back in this mega movie involving the collaboration of Sony and Marvel. Holland has said “some stuff is going on” and that “he’s excited” but the details are shaky. Sony has teased new Marvel projects for Nov. 8, 2024, and June 27, 2025, both to be shown on IMAX. With the earlier slot now taken, this is most likely the one for summer 2025.

Speaking of those Sony dates, this is the other massive Sony production in the pipeline. Filming for this movie starring Tom Hardy again began in June in Spain but came to a halt a month later due to the actors' strike. It is now scheduled for release on Nov. 8 2024.

The head of HBO recently announced many of the network's hits like 'Euphoria,' 'The White Lotus' and 'The Last of Us,' will be coming back... eventually. 'The White Lotus,' for instance, will begin shooting at the beginning of next year. And in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mike White confirmed it will take place in Thailand.

After the mega success of the last film starring Tom Cruise, there were plans to release the eighth installment in June 2024. The film's director Christopher McQuarrie confirmed tha most of the film had already been shot with the exception of the "the biggest set piece, the central set piece." Reports now suggest it will come out May 2025.

These important films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been subject to a lot of rumors, but the LA Times reports they are still on track for completion even though they’ve both been pushed back a year. ‘Kang Dynasty’ is now slated for May 2026 while ‘Secret Wars’ is expected for May 2027.

The film adaption of this Broadway hit had just ten days left of production before it was set to wrap. But even so, its actors including Ethan Slater, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Granda, and Michelle Yeoh all walked out. There were supposed to be two installments in 2024 and 2025, but now those are postponed until November 2024 and Christmas Day 2025.

According to Deadline, the smash Netflix show is supposed to begin filming its final season before the end of the year. Deadline says there is a rush to get the actors in front of the cameras because of the lack of content in the Netflix pipeline from the strike. Season five is expected to come out in 2025.

Touted as the conclusion to Marvel’s Phase 5 of the Multiverse Saga, this film with a new superhero team was supposed to come out in July 2024 but has been pushed back one year to July 2025. It certainly has an interesting and star-studded cast including Sebastian Stan, Hannah, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, and Harrison Ford.

During her 40-minute speech, Drescher joked that the negotiations with studios weren't all tense, explaining that sometimes the rival parties spoke about what they loved about entertainment. "Sometimes we would talk about, the shows we’re all enjoying on the streaming platforms. I said to Ted [Sarandos] ‘Don’t ever take off ‘The Great British Baking Show’ and he said ‘I never will,'" said Drescher.