Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn lends support to Hollywood writers' strike, launches scathing remark on Producers Guild

The WGA is on strike while demanding better pay, safeguards against the use of AI in their job and new contracts for the streaming era.

Sean Penn has extended support to the ongoing Writers Guild of America(WGA) strike. In a Cannes Film Festival press conference for his new film "Black Flies", Penn spoke in favour of the strike by Hollywood screenwriters.

US actor Sean Penn (AFP)

"The industry has been upending the writers and actors and directors for a very long time. I fully support the situation with writers guild, of course,” said Penn.

"There's a lot of new concepts being tossed about including the use of AI. It strikes me as a human obscenity for there to be pushback on that from the producers," he said.

While being critical of producers Guild, Penn said: "The first thing we should do in this conversation is change the Producers Guild and title them how they behave, which is the Bankers Guild."

The WGA is on strike while demanding better pay, safeguards against the use of AI in their job and new contracts for the streaming era.

The writers strike has become a hot topic at Cannes with several stars lending their support to the cause. On Thursday, Ethan Hawke wore a shirt that read “Pencils Down.” At the press conference for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" on Friday, Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy also talked in favour of the writers.

"The meta issue here is how that it's being impacted by an industry that's really changing, that is in the midst of change, both technologically and just basic aspects of how we work.That's going to take time. That's what everyone is getting ready for," said Kennedy.

Meanwhile, Penn's latest film "Black Flies" is based on the challenges in the lives of paramedics in New York City.