Writers’ Strike Ends With Monumental Deal
pictured is Ayo Edebiri, actress and writer who co-stars on the hit FX show "The Bear." 1000Girls via Flickr
After 148 days, the Writers Guild of America strike ended with a deal.
Since May, the writers’ strike has dominated the film and television industry, preventing most projects from filming. Although the deal is paramount for getting the industry working again, the other union on strike currently, SAG-AFTRA representing actors, still hasn’t struck a deal. Therefore, all shows that are scripted and require actors will still not be filmed.
The deal between the WGA and The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has only brought back scripted shows that don’t require actors. These are primarily late-night talk shows such as “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “Saturday Night Live.” However, there is a caveat to both of these.
All late-night talk shows will not be able to have guests who are actors, as they are prevented from doing promotional appearances, according to the SAG strike. For SNL, the cast is involved in SAG, but as AP News describes, “Its writers could be at work soon on sketches, and its actors could perform because they work under a different contract not covered by the actors strike, though as union members, they may be reluctant to do so.” Overall, this leaves room for a small return of the entertainment industry but a necessary step to get work back.
Although the WGA did not receive all their demands, the union still gained a lot in the terms of the deal. After negotiating with some of the biggest heads of studios for five days, including Disney’s Bob Iger, Warner Bros.’s David Zaslav, and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, they finally reached an agreement.
First, the terms give writers the residual payment increases that they demanded. This includes overseas streaming, in which writers obtain a 76 percent gain in residual bonuses. More importantly, they are now gaining higher residuals on streaming platforms based on the number of views of a specific piece of film or television the writer worked on. The AMPTP and studios were heavily against this since they now have to reveal the numbers of their programs on their streaming platforms.
Next, there are large changes in staffing. The New York Times reports, “[now] at least three writer-producers must be hired for writers’ rooms for first-season shows running 20 weeks or longer. Minimum staffing for additional seasons will be tied to the number of episodes.”
Even though the WGA wanted a minimum of six writers, this is still a significant change for writers’ rooms in the industry.
The deal has set guidelines for AI’s influence on screenwriting. Specifically, in the deal, writers cannot be forced to use AI in their scripts, and AI cannot affect writers’ pay and accreditation. AI can now support scripts if allowed by writers. The deal gives writers an increase of 233 million dollars in contracts and many gains regarding AI.
Nevertheless, the deal technically isn’t fully struck yet, as the union must vote to accept the deal with the AMPTP. If not accepted, the writers return to the picket line. Further, the WGA and the rest of the film and television industry need actors in their projects, and the situation between the studios and SAG isn’t promising as they have no set plans to talk.
With the WGA deal only confirmed to last for three years, the climate of film and television may be incredibly different in 2026. In the ever-changing AI world, we are truly in uncharted waters. The future will have strong ramifications for the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on the industry for their livelihoods and the artistry and business of film and television for decades to come.