Hollywood Writers’ Strike Set to Officially Conclude as Union Leadership Approves Deal

The lengthy and disruptive Hollywood screenwriters’ strike, which has paralyzed movie and TV production for nearly five months, is poised to come to an official end on Wednesday. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) board unanimously voted on Tuesday to endorse the strike-ending agreement, which had been announced on Sunday, with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the entity representing studios, streaming services, and production companies in negotiations.

In an announcement on X (formerly Twitter), the Writers Guild West declared, “Today, our Negotiating Committee, WGAW Board, and WGAE Council all voted unanimously to recommend the agreement. The strike ends at 12:01 am.”

While the agreed-upon three-year contract extension will undergo a ratification vote by the full WGA membership, the leadership board has lifted the restraining order, allowing writers to resume work during the ratification process. Members will cast their votes between October 2 and 9.

Late-night talk shows, which were among the first to go dark when writers initiated the strike on May 2, will be among the first programs to return to production. Bill Maher, host of “Real Time” on HBO, confirmed the revival of his show with an X post, stating, “My writers and Real Time are back! See you Friday Night!”

The breakthrough in negotiations followed five intensive days of talks between WGA and AMPTP negotiators, including studio executives, culminating in the late Sunday night announcement. The cessation of writer picketing was immediate, awaiting the official confirmation by WGA leadership.

Under the terms of the contract extension, writers secured improved compensation, increased health and pension contributions, new foreign streaming residuals, and streaming bonuses based on viewership. Additionally, the agreement provides safeguards against artificial intelligence (AI), a contentious issue in the negotiations.

In a significant development, the ratified deal with writers could potentially influence the ongoing strike by actors, who are also in disputes with AMPTP. While there are currently no scheduled talks between the two sides, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) congratulated WGA negotiators in a statement posted on Sunday.

“We look forward to reviewing the terms of the WGA and AMPTP’s tentative agreement,” the SAG-AFTRA statement read. “And we remain ready to resume our own negotiations with the AMPTP as soon as they are prepared to engage on our proposals in a meaningful way.”

However, as the Hollywood writers’ strike reaches its conclusion, striking actors have further expanded their protest by voting to include the lucrative video game market in their walkout. This move could exert additional pressure on Hollywood studios to reach a resolution with actors who provide voices and stunts for video games. Currently, there are no negotiations scheduled between the actors and AMPTP.