Hollywood Studios and Striking Screenwriters Make Progress in Marathon Negotiations
After three consecutive days of intense negotiations, a deal between Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters remains elusive. However, both sides have reported substantial progress, according to three individuals familiar with the talks. The negotiations are set to resume on Saturday as the parties continue to work toward reaching an agreement.
The negotiations began at 11 a.m. Pacific time on Friday at the headquarters of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in suburban Los Angeles. Several high-profile Hollywood executives, including Robert A. Iger from Disney, Donna Langley from NBCUniversal, Ted Sarandos from Netflix, and David Zaslav from Warner Bros. Discovery, directly participated in the talks. This direct involvement, which many screenwriters and analysts have deemed long overdue, has contributed to meaningful progress in recent days.
Notably, progress was made on the topic of minimum staffing for television show writers’ rooms. Previously, studios had been unwilling to engage on this issue until the strike was called in early May. However, during Thursday’s negotiations, the parties narrowed their differences on this matter. The negotiations took an unexpected turn when a short break was taken, and upon reconvening, the guild made additional requests, one of which involved tying a return to work by screenwriters to the resolution of the actors’ strike.
The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, joined writers on the picket lines on July 14, seeking demands that exceed those of the Writers Guild. One of their demands is to receive 2 percent of the total revenue generated by streaming shows, a proposal that studios have labeled a nonstarter.
Following the talks on Thursday night, the guild notified its members via email that negotiations would continue on Friday. The guild also extended picketing hours until 2 p.m., resulting in a strong turnout of writers outside Paramount Pictures. The pickets adopted a “puppet day” theme, with marchers holding felt hand puppets and marionettes, creating an optimistic atmosphere.
Despite the disruptions and themed pickets, negotiations appeared to get back on track by the end of Friday’s picketing. The issue of minimum staffing for television shows was being discussed, with a proposal to hire at least four writers regardless of the number of episodes. Additionally, the parties were exploring a payment plan for writers based on a percentage of active subscribers from streaming services, in addition to other fees. The guild initially proposed a viewership-based royalty payment to reward programs with higher viewership.
This strike, which has lasted for 144 days, is closing in on the record for the longest writers’ strike in history, set at 153 days in 1988.
The guild’s negotiating committee expressed its gratitude for the support shown on the picket lines and reaffirmed their commitment to working toward a deal that writers deserve. The negotiations continue, with hopes of reaching a resolution that satisfies both the writers and the studios.
Note: Nicole Sperling contributed to this report.