EXCLUSIVE, UPDATED with joint assertion: The curler coaster trip of the Writers Guild and the Hollywood studios making an attempt to seal a deal to finish the writers’ almost 5-month-long strike isn’t over but.
After a day many thought would see an settlement between the WGA and the AMPTP finalized, it seems like issues are on pause — at the very least till Sunday morning. “The WGA and the AMPTP met for bargaining on Saturday and will meet again on Sunday,” the 2 sides mentioned late Saturday of their second joint assertion in every week.
With claims of a “best and final offer” from the studios and streamers on the desk and attorneys from each side nonetheless poring over the fantastic print, the WGA strike goes to go at the very least yet one more day.
One extra day that appears prone to see one other so-called “best and final offer,” a reasonably customary authorized time period that’s nowhere as dramatic as some made it out to be as we speak. Still, shortly burrowing underneath the pores and skin of plenty of scribes Saturday, the “best and final offer” time period was bluntly characterised as “an unfortunate choice of words,” by one studio exec who apprehensive it might need set the deal course of again a number of steps.
After the 2 sides left for the day, discussions are being held Saturday evening as as to whether there might be one other face-to-face assembly Sunday between the WGA negotiating committee and the Carol Lombardini-led Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It is unclear if the CEO Gang of Four — Netlfix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Bob Iger, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley and Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav — might be in attendance at that gathering, both in individual and or just about.
In the fog of 4 consecutive days of intense negotiations on the AMPTP’s Sherman Oaks headquarters, the CEO quartet had been in-person Wednesday Thursday and Friday. Sarandos, Iger, Langley and Zaslav weren’t in attendance Saturday in individual, however did take part both remotely or by means of studio subordinates.
The WGA negotiating committee, lots of whom have been in attendance over the previous 4 days, is led by Ellen Stutzman, David Goodman and Chris Keyser.
With an array of points sought by the WGA, which is utilizing a complete bundle technique in its calls for this yr, it seems the ultimate sticking factors are surrounding AI and staffing ranges in writers room. Throughout Friday and as we speak, the seek for a mechanism to untangle these points turned frenzied at factors, as each facet try and wrap up negotiations forward of the Yom Kippur vacation Monday.
Known because the Day of Atonement within the Jewish religion, Yom Kippur this yr runs from sunset Sunday to sunset Monday.
Thousands of members of the WGA has been on strike since May 2 (as we speak is the 145th day) looking for a brand new three-year movie and TV contract. SAG-AFTRA, which has about 160,000 members joined their fellow guild on the picket traces in mid-July and has been out 72 days. The twin strikes have successfully shut down manufacturing within the trade ever since.
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