Hollywood’s Latest Cliffhanger: As Contract Talks Begin Between Writers and Studios, Can A Strike Be Averted?

Today during our spring member drive, put a dollar value on the trustworthy reporting you rely on all year long. The local news you read here every day is crafted for you, but right now, we need your help to keep it going. In these uncertain times, your support is even more important. We can't hold those in power accountable and uplift voices from the community without your partnership. Thank you. Monthly Donation One-Time Donation $5/mo Screenwriters are pretty good at creating feel-good Hollywood endings. The question now is whether they can do the same in their current contract talks. On Monday, negotiators from the Writers Guild of America sat down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to try to craft a new collective bargaining agreement. The current WGA pact expires in May, and if a deal can't be reached by then, the guild's members very likely could go on strike. While a screenwriter's work stoppage wouldn't have the same instant impact as a strike by actors or directors, film and TV production would quickly wind down if the WGA walked. What's at stake Writers and studio executives not directly involved in the contract talks have told me the two sides will need to find common ground on two issues on which they are likely far apart: basic compensation and additional residual payments that have been upended by the surge in streaming. WGA executives argue […]

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