Hollywood writers in deal to end US studio strike

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Filmmaker Obi Emelonye says there is a food chain in the film industry

 

Screenwriters in the US say they have reached a tentative deal with studio bosses that could see them end a strike that has lasted nearly five months.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) said it was "exceptional - with meaningful gains and protections for writers". WGA members must still have a final say.

Hollywood writers are striking in a row over pay and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry.

Stranger Things and the Last of Us are among the shows which have been paused.

It is the longest strike to affect Hollywood in decades and has halted most film and TV production.

A separate dispute involves actors, who are also on strike.

 

The writers' walkout, which began on 2 May, has cost the US economy around $5bn (£4.08bn), according to an estimate from Milken Institute economist Kevin Klowden.

The dispute has shut down many of America's top shows, including Billions, The Handmaid's Tale, Hacks, Severance, Yellowjackets, The Last of Us, Stranger Things, Abbott Elementary and several daytime and late-night talk shows.

As well as issues around pay, the writers fear the impact of artificial intelligence potentially supplanting their talents.

Negotiations also broke down over staffing levels and the royalty payments that writers receive for popular streaming shows. They complain that those residuals are just a fraction of the earnings they would get from a broadcast TV show.

Traditionally, writers would receive additional payments when their programmes were repeated on a broadcast network. However, this model was undermined with the advent of streaming.

 

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