UPDATED SEPTEMBER 24: Talks between the striking writers and Hollywood studios and streamers are continuing on Sunday amid cautious optimism that the parties can reach resolution.
According to reports Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) made a “‘best and final’ offer to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on Saturday evening.
The strike has entered its 146th day and is approaching the grim record of 154 days from the writers’ 1998 work stoppage.
SEPTEMBER 23 REPORT: Writers Guild Of America (WGA) and the Hollywood companies were continuing talks on Saturday (September 23) in an encouraging sign that a deal may be on the near horizon as the strike approached the five-month mark.
Hollywood CEOs Donna Langley from NBCUniversal, Ted Sarandos of Netflix, Disney’s Bob Iger, and David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery have sat down with Alliance Of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the union’s negotiators since Wednesday.
It was unclear whether the executives would join Saturday’s session. However their presence at AMPTP’s offices in Sherman Oaks north of Hollywood where the resumed negotiations have been taking place has given rise to cautious optimism that the parties are edging getting closer to a new three-year deal.
After a potential setback late on Thursday when the writers team came back with further demands on areas the studios and streamers believed to have been settled, is understood the two sides have been moving towards common ground on staffing levels on writers room and residuals linked to success of streaming shows.
Regulation of generative AI remains a sticking point, according to reports.
WGA issued a short statement on Friday night that read, “The WGA and AMPTP met for bargaining on Friday and will meet again on Saturday.
“Thank you for the wonderful show of support on the picket lines today! It means so much to us as we continue to work toward a deal that writers deserve.”
The current round of talks is the first in nearly a month following a setback in August’s talks. The WGA strike has entered its 145th day. The longest WGA work stoppage was 154 days in 1998.
Separately SAG-AFTRA has been on strike since July 14 and have not resumed talks since its work stoppage began. Sources have said they expected a resolution to the writers strike would precede a settlement with the actors union.
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