Hollywood’s writers strike, which began nearly five months ago, came to an end on Tuesday, September 26. This decision followed the Writers Guild of America board members approving a contract agreement with major studios. This breakthrough aims to partly restart the paused industry productions.
The boards of the Writers Guild’s eastern and western divisions, along with their joint negotiating committee, all voted in favor of the deal. They had reached a tentative agreement with a group of Hollywood’s top studios, streaming platforms, and production companies two days prior. Following this agreement, writers can begin work on scripts from 12:01 am Wednesday, September 27.
Although late-night talk shows are expected to restart soon, scripted programs might face delays due to the ongoing actor’s strike.
Despite the board’s approval, writers will cast their votes in early October to ratify the contract. Meanwhile, they can work. The guild informed members about this through an email. The details of this “exceptional” deal were then shared with the writers.
Key highlights of the three-year contract:
Raises ranging from 3.5% to 5%.
New residual payments to writers based on the popularity of streaming shows.
Shows planned for at least 13 episodes should have a minimum of six writers. Those in the early stages are guaranteed three.
Staff for shows in initial stages will have employment for at least 10 weeks.
AI-generated storylines won’t be counted as “literary material,” ensuring writers won’t compete with AI for credits.
Meanwhile, members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) remain on strike. They might extend their strike to the video game sector. This could affect major gaming companies including Activision, Electronic Arts, and others. The primary issues discussed are similar to the film and TV strike, such as wages, safety, and the role of AI.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher urged video game companies to reach an agreement soon. On the other side, Audrey Cooling, speaking for the game producers, mentioned they are still negotiating and have agreed on many proposals.