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EXCLUSIVE: Today’s meeting between SAG-AFTRA and an expanded group of studio CEOs just concluded as the guild considers the AMPTP’s long-awaited response to its latest comprehensive counter.
On this 114th day of the actors’ strike, top officials from Netflix, Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Amazon, Sony, Warner Bros. Discovery and others spoke via Zoom for about an hour with SAG-AFTRA executives to discuss the new document. “It’s a total package, forward-thinking and fair,” a studio insider told Deadline about what executives put on the virtual table.
“The CEOs told them this was a historic package for the guild, including strong AI protections,” said an executive close to the negotiations. “SAG-AFTRA needs to get back to us now,” another studio veteran said of the state of affairs.
We understand that Guild President Fran Drescher, Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and other members of SAG-AFTRA’s Negotiating Committee are currently discussing the AMPTP’s response and discussing next steps. It is currently unclear whether there will be further talks today or tomorrow, November 5th. “We have all come a long way, so taking the time to go through this (the proposal) and the fine print is the only responsible way now,” noted a well-placed guild member.
The studios’ package is expected to include, among other things, the highest wage increase in 40 years and a 100 percent increase in performance compensation bonuses for high-budget streaming series and films. So-called “complete” AI protection measures are also included. The latest move “comes a long way toward what SAG wanted,” says an industry veteran.
“We didn’t just come to you, we came all the way to you,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos reportedly told SAG-AFTRA executives today about the studios’ latest offer.
However, it is difficult to estimate how close the parties are to agreeing a new three-year deal, sources on both sides say. But perhaps it is telling that “cautious optimism” has once again become the expression of the election on both sides.
On Saturday, a much larger contingent of studio CEOs attended the talks than ever before for the SAG-AFTRA negotiations and WGA deliberations. The gang of four – NBCUni’s Donna Langley, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, Disney’s Bob Iger and Netflix’s Sarandos – were all there today as they shared these conversations and the final days of the successful WGA talks in September. Also in attendance were Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins, Disney Co-Chairman Dana Walden, Amazon Studios’ Alan Bergman, Mike Hopkins and Jen Salke, Sony Pictures Chairman Tony Vinciquerra, Apple Studios’ Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, as we were informed
Bob Iger, Ted Sarandos, David Zaslav and Donna Langley Getty/Courtesy
This performance shows how much pressure studios are under to get Hollywood’s global television and film production back on track. Tinseltown has been closed since the first group went on strike in early May, followed by SAG-AFTRA in mid-July. According to recent economic estimates, California has suffered $6.5 billion in losses from the strikes and shutdowns and lost over 45,000 entertainment jobs.
As far as the studio is concerned, the first half of the fall TV season has proven to be a bit of a letdown aside from unscripted shows and episodes. On the big screen, the 2024 release schedule already has several gaps as tentpoles and more are moved – it’s expected there will be more to come if the strike lasts much longer. This weekend, box office receipts for all films totaled around $58 million, the third-highest figure since the beginning of the year. This gritty gross is thanks to Legendary/Warner Bros. “Dune: Part 2” is postponed until next year due to the actors’ strike.