Hollywood writers reach deal to end their 146-day strike
After a 146-day strike that shut down Hollywood, a deal has been reached between striking screenwriters and major entertainment studios.
After a 146-day strike that effectively shut down Hollywood, a “tentative” deal has been reached between striking screenwriters and major entertainment studios.
The Writers Guild of America announced on Monday that after five consecutive days of negotiations it had reached a deal on a new, three-year contract with entertainment companies.
“We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” the WGA’s negotiating committee said in an email to its members on Monday.
The strike will still be in effect until the contract is ratified. In coming days, guild members will vote on whether to accept the deal, which includes much of what they had demanded from studios — including increased royalty payments for streaming content, and guarantees that the use of generative AI in content production will not impinge on writers’ compensation.
Your 2023 @WGAWest@WGAEast Negotiating Committee: pic.twitter.com/DwEKthnvz6
— Eric Haywood (@EricHaywood) September 25, 2023
“To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorised to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then,” the message to members stated.
Writers union leaders told members that all picketing would now be suspended.
Around 11,500 members of the writers’ guild walked off the job on May 2, over issues of pay, minimum staffing in writers’ rooms for television, and concerns over the use of artificial intelligence in the creation of scripts.
The proposed deal comes after talks resumed on Wednesday for the first time in months.
Top Hollywood executives including Bob Iger of Disney, Donna Langley of Universal Pictures, David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery, and Ted Sarandos of Netflix were reportedly involved, joining the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates on behalf of entertainment companies.
Details of the contract agreement will not be released until “the last ‘i’ is dotted,” the WGA said.
The writers have been on strike for 146 days. The longest writers’ strike was 153 days in 1988.
This does not signal a full return for Hollwood. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing more that 150,000 actors, who joined writers on picket lines on July 14 is striking separately. It marked the first time that the writers’ and actors’ guild had been on strike together since 1960.
There are no talks between the actors’ union and the studios currently scheduled. As it stands, the only shows that could resume production are those without actors, such as talk shows.
In a statement, SAG-AFTRA wrote that it “congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines.
While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP‘s tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members.”
Several multimillion-dollar film and TV productions in Australia were impacted by the strikes. Apple TV+’s Metropolis, a reimagining of the 1927 Fritz Lang film, and one of the largest productions ever planned for Australia at $188 million, was cancelled in June.
Other casualties included Universal’s Apples Never Fall, a series adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s novel starring Annette Bening and Sam Neill, stopped filming in July, when the actors’ strike commenced. Production on the martial arts film Mortal Kombat 2, on the Gold Coast, was also delayed.