WGA and film, TV studios reach tentative deal

The Writers Guild of America reached a tentative deal Sunday with film and TV studios that would end a nearly five-month strike and get Hollywood rolling again.

Union officials emailed WGA members Sunday informing them a new three-year agreement was tentatively reached, according to Variety and other outlets.

They called the new contract “exceptional” and said it would have “meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”

“What we have won in this contract – most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd – is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days,” part of the email from the WGA Negotiating Committee states, Variety reported.

“It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal.”

The likely deal comes as both sides took part in intensive bargaining over the weekend.

There were signs last week that the strike, which brought Hollywood to a halt for 146 days, appeared to be nearing the end when the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers issued a joint statement that they were back in talks.

The Alliance represents studios, streaming services and producers in the negotiations.

Union leaders met Wednesday with top studio bosses including Disney CEO Robert Iger, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and NBCUniversal Studio Chair Donna Langley with a source telling Reuters the session was “encouraging.”

The WGA represents around 11,000 writers in film and TV.

Further details were not disclosed Sunday as the contract language is being solidified. 

The guild’s board and its members must sign off on the deal before the strike comes to a close.

With Post wires.