After almost 100 days of strike, Hollywood studios will finally meet with writers this week to discuss reopening negotiations. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) initiated the strike on May 2 due to concerns over pay and the potential impact of artificial intelligence. The walkout has brought film and television production in the United States to a complete halt.
Joining the picket lines in solidarity with the writers last month, major actors from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), including A-list stars like Sean Penn, have increased the pressure on studios such as Disney and Netflix to resume talks.
In an email sent to union members on Tuesday, the WGA revealed that the studios have reached out and requested a meeting this Friday to discuss negotiations. Further information will be communicated to members after the meeting.
The ongoing strike by both writers and actors is the first “double strike” to hit Hollywood in six decades, resulting in the shutdown of movie productions, cancellation of glitzy premieres, and the postponement of events like the Emmys, where stars are banned from promoting their TV shows.
Each day of the strike is costing the entertainment industry and the California economy several million dollars. Writers are demanding higher pay and a larger share of profits from the streaming boom, while studios argue that cost-cutting measures are necessary to cope with economic pressures.
Other major points of contention include the industry’s trend of hiring fewer writers for shorter durations to script TV series, as well as studios’ refusal to offer protection against the future use of artificial intelligence in the writing process.
While writers seem eager to return to negotiations, actors are still at an impasse with the studios, which are represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). According to SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, they have not heard from the AMPTP since July 12, when they were informed that the talks would not resume anytime soon.