It looks like the WGA might be “inching closer” to a deal to end the strike that has held Hollywood by the throat for nearly 150 days after studio heads finally joined marathon talks Wednesday.
The second day of negotiations lasted more than 10 hours.
The WGA delivered a message to its members late Thursday saying that they continued to urge members to return to the picket lines while they met with the AMPTP to hopefully secure more favorable negotiations.
Disney’s Bob Iger, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav and Comcast’s NBCUniversal Studio Group Chairman Donna Langley all made their way to the bargaining table for a second day of talks.
According to an inside source, there was progress made on a handful of the biggest issues that the WGA brought to the table, including writers receiving greater residuals (royalties from their work), as well as protection against the use of AI – such as in the writers room and with the unauthorized use of actor’s likeness in other works.
However, the progress seemed to stop there. “A deal was not reached,” stated the source source.
The WGA and the AMPTP issued a joint statement after they met. They have said that they’ll meet again on Friday as well. “Your Negotiating Committee appreciates all the messages of solidarity and support we have received the last few days, and ask as many of you as possible to come out to the picket lines tomorrow.”