Los Angeles:
High-profile writers whose industrial action has brought Hollywood to a standstill said Sunday they had reached a deal with studios that could see them return to work.
“We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 (minimum basic agreement), i.e., an agreement in principle on all deal items, subject to drafting final contract language,” said a letter the Writers Guild of America sent to members.
“We are very proud to say that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful benefits and protections for writers in every sector of its members.”
The letter, seen by AFP, contained no details of the agreement. It said the language was being ironed out and the final say would be given to members.
“To be clear, no one should return to work until specifically cleared by the Guild. Until then, we are still on strike. But as of today, we are suspending WGA picketing,” the report said.
Thousands of film and television writers put down their pens in early May over demands such as better pay for writers, greater rewards for creating hit shows and protection from artificial intelligence.
They have manned picket lines outside offices including Netflix and Disney for months and – after being joined by high-profile actors in mid-July – have brought the US entertainment industry to a standstill.
Negotiations had been moribund for weeks until a new sense of urgency appeared to have been injected into the process in recent days, with the heads of Netflix, Disney, Universal and Warner Bros Discovery personally attending the talks.
Among their demands, writers say their salaries haven’t kept up with inflation, and that the rise of streaming has reduced the “residual income” they earn when a show they’re working on becomes a smash hit.
Studios have offered more transparency in streaming ratings, but have not offered to overhaul the way residual payments are calculated.
Writers have also demanded restrictions on the use of AI, which they fear could be used to partially replace it in generating future films or show scripts, further undermining their wages.
The Financial Times reported a Milken Institute study in early September that estimated the cost of Hollywood’s current standstill at $5 billion.
The WGA strike has lasted significantly longer than the 2007-2008 writers’ strike, which lasted 100 days and cost the California economy $2.1 billion.
Even if the writers’ deal is completed, the actors’ strike will continue.
There have been no contract talks between the studios and the 160,000-strong SAG-AFTRA actors’ guild since the strike began.
But the two unions share many similar demands, and insiders say a WGA deal could help pave the way for a resolution to the actors’ strike.
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