Evanston-set Mean Girls has a new residence – TikTok and the WGA is not happy about it. Paramount Pictures has drawn the ire of writers, producers, and fans of the 2004 comedy Mean Girls by releasing the entire film on TikTok in 23 parts.
The move has sparked criticism and accusations that studios are finding ways to avoid paying residuals to writers and creators, especially in the wake of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.
“As the WGA strike comes to a close, studios find another way not to pay us for our work (and if you think people won’t watch the film this way, you’re obvs not on TikTok),” said Rebecca Green, producer of It Follows, on Tuesday.
Mynette Louie, producer of The Tale, sarcastically remarked, “Every filmmaker dreams about cutting up their film into 23 parts. Congrats!”
While platforms like TikTok do pay royalties to musical artists, labels, and distributors with licensing contracts, the distribution of these earnings directly to artists has faced criticism from musicians like Snoop Dogg. Snoop Dogg, who supported the WGA strike in May, highlighted the disparity between artists’ streaming numbers and their earnings.
Some critics noted the irony of Paramount’s decision to release Mean Girls in 23 parts, arguing that the studio might have compromised its own profits to avoid paying residuals. One commenter on social media wrote, “Since residuals are part of what the studio makes from its portfolio, it seems they screwed themselves out of profit just to avoid paying residuals. And that is an evil I cannot fathom.”
Paramount’s release of the film on TikTok coincided with the resumption of talks between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to end the strike. This timing led to questions about the studio’s intentions and whether it aimed to undermine the negotiations.
Writer BJ Colangelo, who previously highlighted the trend of first-release movies being streamed on TikTok, criticized the move, saying, “Mean Girls being released in 23 parts on TikTok is bad, actually.”
The decision by Paramount to share Mean Girls on TikTok has sparked a wave of discontent among industry professionals and fans, with many expressing their frustration and disappointment with the studio’s approach to compensation and distribution.
As the entertainment industry grapples with evolving digital platforms and the economic challenges faced by artists, such controversies highlight the ongoing tension between creators and studios over fair compensation for their work.
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