Screenwriters and studios come to "tentative agreement"

Status: 26.09.2023, 07:00 a.m.

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After unsuccessful negotiations on better working conditions, the screenwriters began industrial action at the beginning of May. © Jae C. Hong/AP/dpa

The first double strike of actors and screenwriters in the United States in more than 60 years has nearly paralyzed Hollywood. At least for the writers, an end now seems to be in sight.

LOS ANGELES - After nearly five months of strike, there is a "tentative agreement" between the screenwriters' union and major studios and streaming providers in the United States. This is an agreement in principle, but it still has to be finalized, said the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in Los Angeles. Hollywood's writers went on strike at the beginning of May.

"We can proudly say that this agreement is exceptional – with significant gains and safeguards for authors in every sector of our membership," the WGA said. However, details could not yet be communicated. In addition, the WGA made it clear that the strike would continue until the agreement was finalized - even if the WGA members should no longer take to the streets for themselves, but at most to support the actors and actresses who are also on strike.

For several days, WGA representatives and representatives of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) sat at the negotiating table - for the first time in many weeks. Disney CEO Bob Iger and CEO David Zaslav of media giant Warner Bros. Discovery, among others, took part in the talks, it said.

Fronts between producers and actors further hardened

After unsuccessful negotiations for better working conditions, the more than 11,000 screenwriters of the Writers Guild began industrial action in early May. The writers demanded, among other things, salary increases, better working conditions, higher subsidies for health and retirement benefits and a regulation of the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

In mid-July, the approximately 160,000 actors and actresses of the acting union SAG-AFTRA joined the authors with similar demands. The fronts between the producers and the drama union continue to harden - there have been no talks since the strike began in July.

The first double strike of actors and screenwriters in the United States in more than 60 years has nearly paralyzed Hollywood. As a result of the labor dispute, practically no more films and series could be made. Due to strikes, actors are also not allowed to advertise their films. Film releases have been postponed, and the season of award ceremonies has also been affected. The world's most important television award, Emmy - originally scheduled for mid-September - will now not be awarded until January 2024. Dpa