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EXCLUSIVE: A second day of direct negotiations between the Writers Guild and studio CEOs concluded tonight.
Although no agreement is currently in place, we understand the parties have held important and detailed discussions this week. They check the fine print in hopes of signing a new three-year contract within hours or days.
However, with the situation fluid and talk of a deal all over town, it’s currently unclear whether the writers and studios will meet again. A new meeting could take place tomorrow or the Tuesday after the Yom Kippur holiday – we will update with more information as we receive it. No new meeting has been scheduled at this time as the parties discuss details and dates from recent negotiations.
So far, the writers have been on strike for 143 days.
As Deadline exclusively reported on Wednesday, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Bob Iger, Universal’s Donna Langley and Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav were once again in the room with WGA and AMPTP head Carol Lombardini to try to strike a deal .
At the meeting at the AMPTP offices in Sherman Oaks, Thursday’s extensive discussions focused on the studios’ proposals on Wednesday and the guild’s response. With the question of staffing writers’ rooms among the sticking points, the CEO gang of four sat across the table from the union’s negotiating committee, led by Ellen Stutzman, David Goodman and Chris Keyser.
To further the generally cordial exchange, there were also sideline meetings between individual CEOs and WGA executives throughout Thursday, as was the case on September 20.
“These are complex negotiations,” said a source close to this latest round of talks on a possible deal. “You want to move decisively and make sure everything is buttoned up. This will need time.”
Another well-informed source noted how hard both sides are “working” to resolve the impasse that has plagued Hollywood labor relations since the WGA strike on May 2 and the first round of new talks last month. and said that where the players are at the moment “sounds like progress.”
Today began with some recriminations over a CNBC missive last night that claimed a deal was coming today or “without a deal tomorrow the strike will likely last through the end of the year,” as cable host David Faber tweeted. The report’s blast this morning is reminiscent of past barrages against the guild and its members from senior levels and saw Iger accused of pushing the story – an accusation the Mouse House boss denied.
Directors from both sides also received calls from Gavin Newsom today. The California governor did not yet officially join the talks, continuing what one insider called a “check-in” policy.
The WGA did not comment on today’s discussions when contacted by Deadline.
Today is the 143rd day of the WGA strike and the 70th day that SAG-AFTRA has been on the picket line. If the screenwriters come to an agreement with the studios and streamers, the 160,000-member actors’ union led by Fran Drescher would still have to reach its own agreement before Hollywood accelerates again.
Whenever an agreement is reached, authors’ representatives expect it to take approximately another two weeks for the agreement to be ratified by the guild. Since AMPTP would then enter into a new contract with SAG-AFTRA, questions remain as to how quickly television writers’ rooms could return and how quickly producers could submit specifications.
Nellie Andreeva contributed to this report.