Negotiations between the Hollywood writers union and major entertainment companies resumed on Wednesday after a month, with top executives taking part in the talks for the first time.
The day ended with both sides saying in a statement that they would meet again on Thursday and that top leaders were expected to return. A person familiar with the discussions said the results were encouraging.
In attendance were Ted Sarandos, co-chairman of Netflix; David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery; Donna Langley, chief content officer of Universal Pictures; and Disney CEO Robert A. Iger, said three people familiar with the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic nature of the negotiations.
Last month, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates on behalf of entertainment companies, tightened its offer for a new three-year contract and released the details publicly. The decision to make the offer public only angered the Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 11,000 television and film writers, and was one of the reasons for the recent impasse. Top managers including Mr. Zaslav and Mr. Iger met with union representatives last month, but not for a formal bargaining session.
The writers initially refused to respond to the studios’ latest offer, but then reached out to the alliance last week and asked for a new meeting.
At 142 days, the strike is on track to become the longest writers’ strike ever. (The longest was 153 days in 1988.) The union argues that the streaming era has worsened wages and working conditions for its members.
The studios said they are offering writers the highest pay raise in more than three decades while providing protection from artificial intelligence.
The damage that the writers’ strike — along with a Hollywood actors’ strike that began July 14 — has done to the industry and surrounding businesses is significant.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said in an interview on CNN last week that he believes the twin attacks have already cost the California economy more than $5 billion.
Brooks Barnes and John Koblin contributed reporting.