Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters have resumed negotiations for the second consecutive day in an attempt to resolve their nearly five-month-long dispute. In a joint statement, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing the studios and production companies, and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) confirmed that talks took place on Wednesday and would continue on Thursday. The meeting included prominent entertainment CEOs such as Disney's Bob Iger, Warner Bros. Discovery's David Zaslav, Universal's Donna Langley, and Netflix's Ted Sarandos.
While CNBC reporter David Faber claimed that the writers and AMPTP were close to reaching an agreement and hoped to finalize the deal, no other news outlet has been able to verify his report. However, Deadline reported that Wednesday's negotiations were "very encouraging." The Associated Press has reached out to the AMPTP, WGA, and other entertainment companies for comment but has not received any responses yet.
The key points of contention between the two sides include issues of pay, the size of writing staffs on shows, and the use of artificial intelligence in script creation. Actors, who joined the writers on strike in July, have their own concerns, but there have been no discussions about resuming negotiations with their union at this time.
This latest round of negotiations follows a failed attempt to restart talks in mid-August, which included meetings involving the heads of Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Discovery. The writers claimed that after exchanging contract proposals, they were met with a lecture about the merits of the single counteroffer they received, leading to a breakdown in discussions.
If the strike continues beyond September 30, it will become the longest in the history of the Writers Guild of America and the longest Hollywood strike since 1945. The outcome of the current negotiations will have significant implications for the future of film and television production in Hollywood.