LOS ANGELES — Union leaders and Hollywood studios have reached a tentative agreement to end a historic screenwriters strike that has lasted for nearly five months. However, no deal has been reached yet for striking actors.
The Writers Guild of America announced the deal in a statement.
The three-year contract agreement was settled after five days of renewed talks between negotiators for the Writers Guild of America and an alliance of studios, streaming services, and production companies. The agreement must be approved by the guild’s board and members before the strike officially comes to an end.
The terms of the deal have not yet been announced. In 2008, the tentative deal to end the last writers strike was approved by over 90% of the members.
If approved, nightly network shows such as NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” could return to the air within days.
However, despite the potential end of the writers strike, talks between studios and striking actors have not yet resumed. Crew members who were left with no work due to the strike will remain unemployed for now.
The proposed solution to the writers strike comes after a month-long hiatus in talks. Chief executives from major entertainment companies reportedly participated directly in the negotiations.
Approximately 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike on May 2, citing issues of pay, the size of writing staffs on shows, and the use of artificial intelligence in the creation of scripts. Actors joined the strike in July but no discussions have taken place yet regarding negotiations with their union.
The writers strike immediately affected late-night talk shows and “Saturday Night Live,” and it has put numerous scripted shows and other productions on hold. The strike disrupted the production of upcoming seasons of popular shows like Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” HBO’s “The Last of Us,” and ABC’s “Abbot Elementary,” as well as films like “Deadpool 3” and “Superman: Legacy.” The Emmy Awards were also rescheduled from September to January.
More recently, writers had been targeting talk shows that were circumventing strike rules to return to the air. However, these shows eventually reversed course in the face of picketing and pressure.
The combined strikes by writers and actors have brought the issue of creative labor versus executives to the forefront in Hollywood, where technological advancements like streaming and the emergence of artificial intelligence are transforming the industry.
Screenwriters have historically gone on strike more often than any other segment of the industry. This strike is their first since 2007 and the longest one since 1988.
In July, 65,000 striking film and television actors joined the writers on the picket lines. This marked the first time that the two groups had been on strike together since 1960.
Although the negotiations between the writers and studios have made progress, talks with striking actors have not yet resumed.
Source: wealthnationusa
