The Writers Guild of America resurfaced its 2023 strike in a comedy bit that unfurled at the union’s Los Angeles awards ceremony Sunday night.
More than half a year after the union ended its 148-day strike, the union spoofed the top negotiator representing studios and streamers during those talks, Carol Lombardini, in a raunchy and at times brutal routine at the Hollywood Palladium. Nearly an hour into the union’s annual awards ceremony and between awards presentations, host Niecy Nash-Betts began interacting with an image of “Lombardini” on a screen behind her. (Only the mouth of the image moved, and the rest was static.)
When Nash-Betts asked why “Lombardini” was there, the image responded by congratulating the co-chairs of the WGA’s negotiating committee during the 2023 strike, David Goodman and Chris Keyser, for winning the Morgan Cox Award for service to the union. “First of all, I want to congratulate all the nominees and winners,...
More than half a year after the union ended its 148-day strike, the union spoofed the top negotiator representing studios and streamers during those talks, Carol Lombardini, in a raunchy and at times brutal routine at the Hollywood Palladium. Nearly an hour into the union’s annual awards ceremony and between awards presentations, host Niecy Nash-Betts began interacting with an image of “Lombardini” on a screen behind her. (Only the mouth of the image moved, and the rest was static.)
When Nash-Betts asked why “Lombardini” was there, the image responded by congratulating the co-chairs of the WGA’s negotiating committee during the 2023 strike, David Goodman and Chris Keyser, for winning the Morgan Cox Award for service to the union. “First of all, I want to congratulate all the nominees and winners,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The David Hemingson-scripted Alexander Payne dramedy The Holdovers and Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction were the big film winners at the strike-delayed 2024 Writers Guild Awards, which were handed out Sunday in Los Angeles and New York.
Jefferson — who also was honored with the WGA West’s Paul Selvin Award — followed his Oscar win for Adapted Screenplay as the WGA’s weird, wild and elongated Awards season wrapped with simultaneous ceremonies on both coasts. Hemingson scored a modicum of revenge for losing the Original Screenplay Academy Award to Justine Triet and Arthur Harari for Anatomy of a Fall.
The latter script, however, wasn’t eligible for a Writers Guild Award. That’s because, unlike other guilds, the WGA deems ineligible any scripts for movies not produced under its Minimum Basic Agreement or a bona fide collective bargaining agreement with various affiliated countries.
Later, the Documentary prize went to Errol Morris...
Jefferson — who also was honored with the WGA West’s Paul Selvin Award — followed his Oscar win for Adapted Screenplay as the WGA’s weird, wild and elongated Awards season wrapped with simultaneous ceremonies on both coasts. Hemingson scored a modicum of revenge for losing the Original Screenplay Academy Award to Justine Triet and Arthur Harari for Anatomy of a Fall.
The latter script, however, wasn’t eligible for a Writers Guild Award. That’s because, unlike other guilds, the WGA deems ineligible any scripts for movies not produced under its Minimum Basic Agreement or a bona fide collective bargaining agreement with various affiliated countries.
Later, the Documentary prize went to Errol Morris...
- 4/15/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The writers strike ended seven months ago, but memories of the picket lines were fresh at the WGA Awards tonight.
“The strike is over, the fight goes on,” said former Wgaw President David Goodman at the Hollywood Palladium. “As individuals we’re replaceable, but as a union we’re irreplaceable.”
As the guild gave out awards to scribes, speaker after speaker brought up the 148-day WGA strike as well as the SAG-AFTRA strike.
From Wgaw President Meredith Stiehm to Hollywood Teamster Chief Lindsay Dougherty to Goodman and fellow Morgan Cox honoree Chris Keyser and even Drew Carey, the strike was a constant topic.
Related: The 2025 Oscars: Everything We Know So Far About The Nominations, Ceremony, Date & Host
Even AMPTP President Carol Lombardini made an appearance to talk strike — sort of. A photo of Lombardini appeared on screen with a mouthpiece full of sarcasm and mocking remarks about the studios...
“The strike is over, the fight goes on,” said former Wgaw President David Goodman at the Hollywood Palladium. “As individuals we’re replaceable, but as a union we’re irreplaceable.”
As the guild gave out awards to scribes, speaker after speaker brought up the 148-day WGA strike as well as the SAG-AFTRA strike.
From Wgaw President Meredith Stiehm to Hollywood Teamster Chief Lindsay Dougherty to Goodman and fellow Morgan Cox honoree Chris Keyser and even Drew Carey, the strike was a constant topic.
Related: The 2025 Oscars: Everything We Know So Far About The Nominations, Ceremony, Date & Host
Even AMPTP President Carol Lombardini made an appearance to talk strike — sort of. A photo of Lombardini appeared on screen with a mouthpiece full of sarcasm and mocking remarks about the studios...
- 4/15/2024
- by Dominic Patten, Anthony D'Alessandro and Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Chris Keyser and David Goodman, the veteran showrunners who steered the five-month Writers Guild of America strike last year, warned guild members on Sunday to stay vigilant in a fast-changing business landscape despite the gains of last year’s historic labor action.
“Though this strike is over, the fight goes on. If we take our eye off the ball, everything we gained can literally go away tomorrow,” Goodman told the crowd at the Writers Guild Awards at the Hollywood Palladium.
Goodman and Keyser served as co-chairs of the WGA’s negotiating commttee last year. The pair, both past presidents of the WGA West, were honored with the guild’s Morgan Cox Awards for dedicated service.
“Nothing is given to labor that it does not demand,” Keyser told the crowd.
Keyser said the long struggle of last year was the end result of a long period of getting the union to...
“Though this strike is over, the fight goes on. If we take our eye off the ball, everything we gained can literally go away tomorrow,” Goodman told the crowd at the Writers Guild Awards at the Hollywood Palladium.
Goodman and Keyser served as co-chairs of the WGA’s negotiating commttee last year. The pair, both past presidents of the WGA West, were honored with the guild’s Morgan Cox Awards for dedicated service.
“Nothing is given to labor that it does not demand,” Keyser told the crowd.
Keyser said the long struggle of last year was the end result of a long period of getting the union to...
- 4/15/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
‘Succession’ has gone out with one final bang: The HBO drama won two Writers Guild of America Awards on Sunday night — the most of any series — for best drama series and also for best drama episode. Creator Jesse Armstrong was on hand in New York to accept the award, while several of the show’s writers were also in LA to accept the honor.
This reps the final major awards show where “Succession” (which ended its run last May) was still eligible. Besides best drama, the show also won the episodic drama prize, for the episode “Living+,” written by Georgia Pritchett and Will Arbery.
The WGA Awards recognized the best of 2023’s television and film via its annual event held this year at the Hollywood Palladium for the West Coast edition and at New York’s Edison Ballroom for the East Coast ceremony.
Big winners on the film side included “American Fiction” writer Cord Jefferson,...
This reps the final major awards show where “Succession” (which ended its run last May) was still eligible. Besides best drama, the show also won the episodic drama prize, for the episode “Living+,” written by Georgia Pritchett and Will Arbery.
The WGA Awards recognized the best of 2023’s television and film via its annual event held this year at the Hollywood Palladium for the West Coast edition and at New York’s Edison Ballroom for the East Coast ceremony.
Big winners on the film side included “American Fiction” writer Cord Jefferson,...
- 4/14/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Our Flag Means Death creator David Jenkins has raised the white flag on his former Max comedy finding a new home.
“I can officially confirm that we’ve reached the end of the road,” Jenkins posted on Instagram. “At least as far as this sweet show is concerned. After many complimentary meetings, conversations, etc., it seems there is no alternate home for our crew.”
Max canceled the comedy starring Rhys Darby and exec producer Taika Waititi in January after a critically acclaimed two-season run.
Praised for its queer storylines, Our Flag Means Death has an impressive 94 percent score among critics and 93 percent rating with viewers on Rotten Tomatoes. Season one of the series consisted of 10 episodes and aired in March 2022, with the renewal coming for a shortened eight-episode run that wrapped in October.
Fans of Flag were vocal, launching campaigns to save the show and fundraising for billboards in New York and London.
“I can officially confirm that we’ve reached the end of the road,” Jenkins posted on Instagram. “At least as far as this sweet show is concerned. After many complimentary meetings, conversations, etc., it seems there is no alternate home for our crew.”
Max canceled the comedy starring Rhys Darby and exec producer Taika Waititi in January after a critically acclaimed two-season run.
Praised for its queer storylines, Our Flag Means Death has an impressive 94 percent score among critics and 93 percent rating with viewers on Rotten Tomatoes. Season one of the series consisted of 10 episodes and aired in March 2022, with the renewal coming for a shortened eight-episode run that wrapped in October.
Fans of Flag were vocal, launching campaigns to save the show and fundraising for billboards in New York and London.
- 3/8/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Julia has been canceled at Max after two seasons. The Julia Child biographical series stars Sarah Lancashire as The French Chef star and David Hyde Pierce has her dutiful husband, Paul Child. Max canceled Our Flag Means Death, another of its original series, just the day before on January 9. “We are so honored to have partnered with Chris Keyser, Daniel Goldfarb and their masterful creative team and dynamic cast, led by Sarah Lancashire, as they cooked up Julia,” a Max spokesperson said in a statement, per Variety. “Thanks to their beautiful work over two seasons of this heartful, sensual, and inspiring show, we can forever celebrate the incredible legacy of Julia Child.” The eight-episode second season premiered in November 2023, with the Julia Season 2 finale coming out on December 21. Season 1 debuted on the streaming platform in March 2022 and was also comprised of eight episodes. The period dramedy followed Child as she,...
- 1/11/2024
- TV Insider
Oh dear, this is one dish that even Julia Child can’t salvage: Max has cancelled the biopic series Julia after two seasons, TVLine has confirmed.
“We are so honored to have partnered with Chris Keyser, Daniel Goldfarb and their masterful creative team and dynamic cast, led by Sarah Lancashire, as they cooked up Julia,” a Max spokesperson said in a statement. “Thanks to their beautiful work over two seasons of this heartful, sensual, and inspiring show, we can forever celebrate the incredible legacy of Julia Child.”
More from TVLineOur Flag Means Death Cancelled at MaxTokyo Vice Scores Season 2 Release...
“We are so honored to have partnered with Chris Keyser, Daniel Goldfarb and their masterful creative team and dynamic cast, led by Sarah Lancashire, as they cooked up Julia,” a Max spokesperson said in a statement. “Thanks to their beautiful work over two seasons of this heartful, sensual, and inspiring show, we can forever celebrate the incredible legacy of Julia Child.”
More from TVLineOur Flag Means Death Cancelled at MaxTokyo Vice Scores Season 2 Release...
- 1/11/2024
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
“Julia” has been canceled at Max after two seasons, Variety has learned.
“We are so honored to have partnered with Chris Keyser, Daniel Goldfarb and their masterful creative team and dynamic cast, led by Sarah Lancashire, as they cooked up ‘Julia,'” a Max spokesperson said in a statement. “Thanks to their beautiful work over two seasons of this heartful, sensual, and inspiring show, we can forever celebrate the incredible legacy of Julia Child.”
The period dramedy originally debuted on the streamer in March 2022, with Season 2 launching in November 2023. Both seasons consisted of eight episodes each.
The series was based on the life of Julia Child, the groundbreaking chef and author who brought French food to the American masses through her cook books and her hit television show, “The French Chef.”
Child was portrayed in the series by Sarah Lancashire. The cast also included David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Brittany Bradford,...
“We are so honored to have partnered with Chris Keyser, Daniel Goldfarb and their masterful creative team and dynamic cast, led by Sarah Lancashire, as they cooked up ‘Julia,'” a Max spokesperson said in a statement. “Thanks to their beautiful work over two seasons of this heartful, sensual, and inspiring show, we can forever celebrate the incredible legacy of Julia Child.”
The period dramedy originally debuted on the streamer in March 2022, with Season 2 launching in November 2023. Both seasons consisted of eight episodes each.
The series was based on the life of Julia Child, the groundbreaking chef and author who brought French food to the American masses through her cook books and her hit television show, “The French Chef.”
Child was portrayed in the series by Sarah Lancashire. The cast also included David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Brittany Bradford,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Max is turning off the heat on Julia.
The Warner Bros. Discovery-backed streamer has canceled its Julia Child-inspired series Julia following a two-season run. The news comes after the second season wrapped its run Dec. 21 and amid an era of belt tightening across the television landscape, with Julia joining Our Flag Means Death in being axed at the streamer this week alone. Both seasons of Julia will continue to be available to stream on Max.
From creator Daniel Goldfarb and showrunner Chris Keyser, Sarah Lancashire starred as Child opposite David Hyde Pierce. Max did not own the show and instead paid a licensing fee to producers Lionsgate Television, which is in the midst of spinning off from premium cable network Starz.
“We are so honored to have partnered with Chris Keyser, Daniel Goldfarb and their masterful creative team and dynamic cast, led by Sarah Lancashire, as they cooked up Julia.
The Warner Bros. Discovery-backed streamer has canceled its Julia Child-inspired series Julia following a two-season run. The news comes after the second season wrapped its run Dec. 21 and amid an era of belt tightening across the television landscape, with Julia joining Our Flag Means Death in being axed at the streamer this week alone. Both seasons of Julia will continue to be available to stream on Max.
From creator Daniel Goldfarb and showrunner Chris Keyser, Sarah Lancashire starred as Child opposite David Hyde Pierce. Max did not own the show and instead paid a licensing fee to producers Lionsgate Television, which is in the midst of spinning off from premium cable network Starz.
“We are so honored to have partnered with Chris Keyser, Daniel Goldfarb and their masterful creative team and dynamic cast, led by Sarah Lancashire, as they cooked up Julia.
- 1/11/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for the Season 2 finale of “Julia,” now streaming on Max.
“Julia” might put a strong focus on the food, but it’s a show that also has a lot more on its mind. The Max comedy series takes on a wide range of 1960s-era social issues, including feminism, homosexuality, civil rights and the anti-war movement.
“Julia” wraps up its second season Thursday with an eventful finale that includes filming an ambitious crustacean segment — in the “Lobster a l’Americaine” episode. After cooking and hitting farmer’s markets in the south of France with her friend and co-author Simone Beck (Isabella Rossellini), the Childs — played by Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce — spend time in Paris, then return to Boston where they must confront — and foil — an FBI investigation into Wgbh’s “subversive” activities, with help from station employees like producer Alice (Brittany Bradford).
Variety...
“Julia” might put a strong focus on the food, but it’s a show that also has a lot more on its mind. The Max comedy series takes on a wide range of 1960s-era social issues, including feminism, homosexuality, civil rights and the anti-war movement.
“Julia” wraps up its second season Thursday with an eventful finale that includes filming an ambitious crustacean segment — in the “Lobster a l’Americaine” episode. After cooking and hitting farmer’s markets in the south of France with her friend and co-author Simone Beck (Isabella Rossellini), the Childs — played by Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce — spend time in Paris, then return to Boston where they must confront — and foil — an FBI investigation into Wgbh’s “subversive” activities, with help from station employees like producer Alice (Brittany Bradford).
Variety...
- 12/21/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
The most audacious aspect of Max’s “Julia” (now in its second season) is that Julia Child might not be the most accomplished real-life character in it. That might be Bebe Neuwirth’s Avis DeVoto, who, with husband Bernard, helped save the national forests from the U.S. government. Or maybe it’s Judith Jones (Fiona Glascott), who pulled a book out of a slush pile and thus became responsible for publishing “The Diary of Anne Frank,” among other accomplishments that include the English translations of Sartre and Camus. Then again, it might be Blanche Knopf (Judith Light), the powerhouse publisher who co-founded Knopf with her husband and helped elevate the mystery genre to high art by publishing everyone from Dashiell Hammett to Ross Macdonald.
But in Episode 7, we meet Zephyr Wright (Deidrie Henry), President Johnson’s longtime housekeeper who came with the family to the White House — and helped push...
But in Episode 7, we meet Zephyr Wright (Deidrie Henry), President Johnson’s longtime housekeeper who came with the family to the White House — and helped push...
- 12/14/2023
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
“Food is the most temperamental actor you can have on set,” admits Christine Tobin, the food stylist on the Max series “Julia,” in a new, three-minute, behind-the-scenes feature that Gold Derby is debuting exclusively. She explains, “We want to make sure that the food will present beautifully, but last.” That is indeed a priority on a show that is centered on legendarily delicious meals. Sarah Lancashire, who delivers a stunning turn as iconic cook Julia Child, describes Christine as “the invisible me,” continuing, “I look like I’m doing it all, but I’m doing very little.” Watch the exclusive video above.
The new footage offers an inside look into how the delectable food, which plays a prominent role on the series about the beginning of Child’s television series “The French Chef,” goes from kitchen to camera. Showrunner Chris Keyser says that the show functions as a “collaboration between the kitchen and the writing,...
The new footage offers an inside look into how the delectable food, which plays a prominent role on the series about the beginning of Child’s television series “The French Chef,” goes from kitchen to camera. Showrunner Chris Keyser says that the show functions as a “collaboration between the kitchen and the writing,...
- 11/20/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
As the town flocked to picket lines during a historic 148-day writers strike and 118-day actors strike, moguls took a hit (looking at you, Bob Iger), stars made blunders (why, Drew Barrymore?) and others saw their stock rise (Lindsay Dougherty holds court next with the studios) …
Winners
Fran Drescher & Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
To be sure, SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating team faced its challenges in 2023, from growing impatience in the industry over the length of its bargaining process to celebrity resistance to the union’s restrictive Halloween strike rules. Ultimately, though, Drescher in particular ably combated some of the criticism (openly discussing the heart-shaped plushie she brought to negotiations) and the union won a wide-reaching contract.
Ellen Stutzman
The WGA West assistant executive director was thrust into the spotlight in February when the union’s usual chief negotiator, David Young, stepped out on medical leave. Stutzman was named to take his place in negotiations,...
Winners
Fran Drescher & Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
To be sure, SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating team faced its challenges in 2023, from growing impatience in the industry over the length of its bargaining process to celebrity resistance to the union’s restrictive Halloween strike rules. Ultimately, though, Drescher in particular ably combated some of the criticism (openly discussing the heart-shaped plushie she brought to negotiations) and the union won a wide-reaching contract.
Ellen Stutzman
The WGA West assistant executive director was thrust into the spotlight in February when the union’s usual chief negotiator, David Young, stepped out on medical leave. Stutzman was named to take his place in negotiations,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Lesley Goldberg, Gary Baum, Katie Kilkenny, Alex Weprin, Rick Porter, Caitlin Huston, Winston Cho and Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” a studio executive told Deadline. One insider called it “a cruel but necessary evil.”
We’re all glad the strikes are finally over, but I feel misunderstood. I mean, sure, I pull down tons of cash to stonewall and bulldoze artists on behalf of multinational media conglomerates who want to protect their many billions of dollars in beautiful, beautiful profits. And I get that a certain amount of public condemnation and mockery come with the gig (yes, I’ve seen your mean tweets and memes and yes, I hope all of you die). But before I crawl back into my office in the bowels of a Sherman Oaks shopping mall, before little ol’ Carol is gone and forgotten for the next three years (or at least until next summer when...
We’re all glad the strikes are finally over, but I feel misunderstood. I mean, sure, I pull down tons of cash to stonewall and bulldoze artists on behalf of multinational media conglomerates who want to protect their many billions of dollars in beautiful, beautiful profits. And I get that a certain amount of public condemnation and mockery come with the gig (yes, I’ve seen your mean tweets and memes and yes, I hope all of you die). But before I crawl back into my office in the bowels of a Sherman Oaks shopping mall, before little ol’ Carol is gone and forgotten for the next three years (or at least until next summer when...
- 11/16/2023
- by Fake Carol
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for the first three episodes of Julia Season 2.] If there’s a show that makes you want to eat while watching, it’s Max‘s deliciously fun Julia. Given the show is a comedy series about the early television career of infamous chef Julia Child (played with perfection by Sarah Lancashire), food does tend to come up once in awhile and is what the creative forces behind the show want it to be. “Our desire [is for] you to watch the show and feel as if you’re watching a souffle and then you realize that there’s something underneath it that’s presenting a little bit of a message,” says executive producer Chris Keyser. Based on the first three episodes of Season 2 that dropped today, juicy is a good word to describe what unfolds with Julia, salty husband Paul, Julia’s ambitious editor Judith Jones (Fiona Glascott), and ...
- 11/16/2023
- TV Insider
This scrumptious drama traces Julia Child’s emergence as culinary television trailblazer, but in the second season, the ebulliently eccentric chef (Sarah Lancashire), with the inimitable, octave-spanning warble, still struggles with the torrent of transformations unfolding in the socially turbulent 1960s. “Julia’s a path breaker and represents the entrepreneurial woman, but she’s also a product of her time. We wanted to capture those contradictions,” says Julia showrunner Chris Keyser. He adds that Julia learns “you can’t stand still” as the winds of change blow. Indeed, Season 2 finds each of the characters facing “the comedy and the drama of finding yourself running headlong into a world that you don’t fully understand anymore.” On the heels of The French Chef becoming a cultural sensation for once-sleepy Boston public television station Wgbh, Julia and husband Paul (David Hyde Pierce) head to France for the summer, where she and Simca...
- 11/15/2023
- TV Insider
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s name graced many a picket sign during the Writers Guild of America’s 148-day strike, with everything from his exec comp to content-cutting choices called out in writers’ anti-Hollywood studios jokes.
Now that the work stoppage is over, the writers might consider reexamining their opinion of Zaslav, who concedes the WGA was “right about almost everything.”
In a profile published by Wednesday by The New York Times Magazine, Zaslav said he does not regret the concessions that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) made to finally close that tentative deal with the writers union Sept. 24.
“They are right about almost everything. So what if we overpay? I’ve never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset,” Zaslav said.
What’s overpaying? That’s in the eye of the content beholder, but in the Times story, one example given...
Now that the work stoppage is over, the writers might consider reexamining their opinion of Zaslav, who concedes the WGA was “right about almost everything.”
In a profile published by Wednesday by The New York Times Magazine, Zaslav said he does not regret the concessions that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) made to finally close that tentative deal with the writers union Sept. 24.
“They are right about almost everything. So what if we overpay? I’ve never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset,” Zaslav said.
What’s overpaying? That’s in the eye of the content beholder, but in the Times story, one example given...
- 11/15/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Season one of Max’s Julia introduced Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child, the iconic chef and author who taught American television audiences the art of cooking with The French Chef. The first season delved into Child’s personal and professional life while charting her ascension to TV star. Season two picks up the larger-than-life television personality in France, where she and her loving husband, Paul (David Hyde Pierce), are visiting Simca (Isabella Rossellini) and working on a new cookbook.
Series creator, writer, and executive producer Daniel Goldfarb revealed that they intended to go to France in season one, but that never transpired. Once the series was renewed for season two, there was never a question the story would include a trip to the South of France.
“We got Isabella Rossellini to play Simca Beck, Julia’s writing partner, and then just because of Covid and everything, it became too complicated.
Series creator, writer, and executive producer Daniel Goldfarb revealed that they intended to go to France in season one, but that never transpired. Once the series was renewed for season two, there was never a question the story would include a trip to the South of France.
“We got Isabella Rossellini to play Simca Beck, Julia’s writing partner, and then just because of Covid and everything, it became too complicated.
- 11/13/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Exclusive: Bob Iger finally had his wish come true Wednesday.
“I’m elated,” the Disney CEO told Deadline tonight in his reaction to the deal between SAG-AFTRA and the studios.
“It’s been, as you know, a long summer in this town and it’s an industry that really needs to get back to work and wants to get back to work,” Iger added at the Wish premiere in Hollywood, just hours after the tentative agreement with the guild was made public. “I’m gonna be one of those people that’s just cheering the return to production in this community.”
Iger’s remarks late tonight come after a long 24 hours for the exec, the guild and the industry.
The 118th day of the strike, Wednesday saw hopes dashed for a Tuesday night deal, a rough-ish Q3 earnings result for Disney, worries about 2024 and the AMPTP putting SAG-AFTRA on notice.
“I’m elated,” the Disney CEO told Deadline tonight in his reaction to the deal between SAG-AFTRA and the studios.
“It’s been, as you know, a long summer in this town and it’s an industry that really needs to get back to work and wants to get back to work,” Iger added at the Wish premiere in Hollywood, just hours after the tentative agreement with the guild was made public. “I’m gonna be one of those people that’s just cheering the return to production in this community.”
Iger’s remarks late tonight come after a long 24 hours for the exec, the guild and the industry.
The 118th day of the strike, Wednesday saw hopes dashed for a Tuesday night deal, a rough-ish Q3 earnings result for Disney, worries about 2024 and the AMPTP putting SAG-AFTRA on notice.
- 11/9/2023
- by Rosy Cordero and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
David Young, the longtime executive director of the Writers Guild of America West, is stepping down, the guild announced on Friday.
Ellen Stutzman, who served as chief negotiator through its 148-day strike this year, will take over as executive director.
Young was initially expected to lead this year’s negotiations, but surprisingly took a medical leave in February, shortly before talks began.
“It has been an honor to work with and for writers,” Young said in a statement on Friday. “I’ve also been lucky to collaborate with the Guild’s staff, which is superb.”
Even though Young has been on leave since February, he was still consulting with the WGA behind the scenes, according to a source who spoke with him over the summer.
Several guild leaders issued statements in praise of Young’s tenure. Meredith Stiehm, the president of WGA West, called Young a “shrewd, creative strategist.” David Goodman,...
Ellen Stutzman, who served as chief negotiator through its 148-day strike this year, will take over as executive director.
Young was initially expected to lead this year’s negotiations, but surprisingly took a medical leave in February, shortly before talks began.
“It has been an honor to work with and for writers,” Young said in a statement on Friday. “I’ve also been lucky to collaborate with the Guild’s staff, which is superb.”
Even though Young has been on leave since February, he was still consulting with the WGA behind the scenes, according to a source who spoke with him over the summer.
Several guild leaders issued statements in praise of Young’s tenure. Meredith Stiehm, the president of WGA West, called Young a “shrewd, creative strategist.” David Goodman,...
- 11/4/2023
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
After 18 years at the top of the Writers Guild of America West, executive director David Young is departing. And the chief negotiator who led the union in its latest round of negotiations amid a historic strike — Ellen Stutzman — will take his place.
The WGA West board of directors announced the leadership transition to members on Friday. “Our membership owes David a great debt. His organizing experience and strategic acumen were essential to building the Guild into the fighting organization it is today,” the group stated in it message. Young will remain at the union through the remainder of his contract, but Stutzman’s promotion is effective immediately.
Young, who joined the union in 2004 as an organizing director and stepped into the executive director role a year later, led the union through a momentous period, including the 100-day strike in 2007-8 that tackled what was then called “new media” and the...
The WGA West board of directors announced the leadership transition to members on Friday. “Our membership owes David a great debt. His organizing experience and strategic acumen were essential to building the Guild into the fighting organization it is today,” the group stated in it message. Young will remain at the union through the remainder of his contract, but Stutzman’s promotion is effective immediately.
Young, who joined the union in 2004 as an organizing director and stepped into the executive director role a year later, led the union through a momentous period, including the 100-day strike in 2007-8 that tackled what was then called “new media” and the...
- 11/4/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ellen Stutzman, who served as chief negotiator during the strike, has been named the new director of WGA West, the guild’s President Meredith Stiehm announced on Friday. Outgoing veteran David Young has held the position since 2005.
“Ellen is a steady, calm force to be reckoned with, as we all witnessed these past five months as she led us to victory in the 2023 strike,” said Stiehm. “She is beloved by staff and members, and I have every confidence in her as she steps into this role. Writers could not be in better hands.”
“There’s nothing more important – that determines the outcome of things more – than the right person at the right time. Ellen was that for us. The exact right person at a tenuous moment,” said former Wgaw president and 2023 WGA Negotiating Committee co-chair Chris Keyser.
“The first, maybe most important, decision we all made in the course of...
“Ellen is a steady, calm force to be reckoned with, as we all witnessed these past five months as she led us to victory in the 2023 strike,” said Stiehm. “She is beloved by staff and members, and I have every confidence in her as she steps into this role. Writers could not be in better hands.”
“There’s nothing more important – that determines the outcome of things more – than the right person at the right time. Ellen was that for us. The exact right person at a tenuous moment,” said former Wgaw president and 2023 WGA Negotiating Committee co-chair Chris Keyser.
“The first, maybe most important, decision we all made in the course of...
- 11/4/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
I proudly voted “yes” for the new WGA Minimum Basic Agreement. It is an immense achievement, and Ellen Stutzman, Chris Keyser, David Goodman and the rest of the negotiating committee should take well-deserved bows.
Regarding artificial intelligence, the WGA negotiated a smart, forward-thinking set of guardrails for guild members even though the technology is still sorting itself out and very few can predict its ultimate manifestation.
But given the powerful nature of AI and its potential to save the studios countless millions, I can’t help but wonder how these profit-seeking monoliths will side-step the new restrictions in the years to come as the technology improves.
By looking back at a particular experience of my own, I think I know of one way they can.
I cite this story as a warning to both my guilds, the WGA and DGA, as well as IATSE and Teamsters as they negotiate future...
Regarding artificial intelligence, the WGA negotiated a smart, forward-thinking set of guardrails for guild members even though the technology is still sorting itself out and very few can predict its ultimate manifestation.
But given the powerful nature of AI and its potential to save the studios countless millions, I can’t help but wonder how these profit-seeking monoliths will side-step the new restrictions in the years to come as the technology improves.
By looking back at a particular experience of my own, I think I know of one way they can.
I cite this story as a warning to both my guilds, the WGA and DGA, as well as IATSE and Teamsters as they negotiate future...
- 10/31/2023
- by Daniel Adams
- The Wrap
Max’s official trailer for the second season of the critically acclaimed drama Julia finds the brilliant chef discovering she’s now a star thanks to the popularity of The French Chef. The trailer also confirms the new season will kick off on November 16, 2023 with the premiere of the first three episodes.
Additional episodes of the eight-episode season will stream once a week, with the season finale set for December 21.
Sarah Lancashire returns to lead the cast as Julia Child, and David Hyde Pierce is back as Julia’s supportive husband, Paul. The cast also includes Bebe Neuwirth, Brittany Bradford, Fran Kranz, Fiona Glascott, and Robert Joy.
Poster for ‘Julia’ season 2 (Photo Credit: Max)
“With her trailblazing cooking show up and running on the air, Julia grapples with her rising celebrity and what that means for her, her colleagues, and her show. In season two, Julia and her devoted husband...
Additional episodes of the eight-episode season will stream once a week, with the season finale set for December 21.
Sarah Lancashire returns to lead the cast as Julia Child, and David Hyde Pierce is back as Julia’s supportive husband, Paul. The cast also includes Bebe Neuwirth, Brittany Bradford, Fran Kranz, Fiona Glascott, and Robert Joy.
Poster for ‘Julia’ season 2 (Photo Credit: Max)
“With her trailblazing cooking show up and running on the air, Julia grapples with her rising celebrity and what that means for her, her colleagues, and her show. In season two, Julia and her devoted husband...
- 10/24/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Max has released the trailer for Season 2 of “Julia,” the streamer’s series about the life of Julia Child, which will have a three-episode premiere on Thursday, Nov. 16. One episode will release weekly following the premiere, through Dec. 21.
Returning series regulars include Sarah Lancashire, David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Brittany Bradford, Fran Kranz, Fiona Glascott, and Robert Joy.
The second season continues to follow Julia (Lancashire) and her husband Paul after the launch of her famous cooking show.
The logline reads, “With her trailblazing cooking show up and running on the air, Julia grapples with her rising celebrity and what that means for her, her colleagues and her show. In Season 2, Julia and her devoted husband Paul return from Simca’s home in France to find that her success has changed everything.”
The summary continues, “Through her singular joie de vivre, she and her team must navigate Wgbh, the White...
Returning series regulars include Sarah Lancashire, David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Brittany Bradford, Fran Kranz, Fiona Glascott, and Robert Joy.
The second season continues to follow Julia (Lancashire) and her husband Paul after the launch of her famous cooking show.
The logline reads, “With her trailblazing cooking show up and running on the air, Julia grapples with her rising celebrity and what that means for her, her colleagues and her show. In Season 2, Julia and her devoted husband Paul return from Simca’s home in France to find that her success has changed everything.”
The summary continues, “Through her singular joie de vivre, she and her team must navigate Wgbh, the White...
- 10/24/2023
- by Caroline Brew, Jaden Thompson and Valerie Wu
- Variety Film + TV
SAG-AFTRA A-lister George Clooney met with his union’s leaders Tuesday in a bid to further understand how contract negotiations broke down on Oct. 11.
Clooney spoke with union national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland as well as president Fran Drescher over Zoom about why studios suspended discussions the previous week. Deadline, which was the first to report the news, additionally reported that fellow union members Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone, Ben Affleck and Tyler Perry were present in the meeting.
Said a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson on Tuesday, “We meet with members of all profiles every day and we won’t be commenting on those private conversations.” Representatives for Clooney did not respond to a request for comment.
On Oct. 11, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced that studios were pausing discussions because “the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction.
Clooney spoke with union national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland as well as president Fran Drescher over Zoom about why studios suspended discussions the previous week. Deadline, which was the first to report the news, additionally reported that fellow union members Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone, Ben Affleck and Tyler Perry were present in the meeting.
Said a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson on Tuesday, “We meet with members of all profiles every day and we won’t be commenting on those private conversations.” Representatives for Clooney did not respond to a request for comment.
On Oct. 11, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced that studios were pausing discussions because “the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction.
- 10/18/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Why did it take five months?
That’s the vexing question that entertainment industry insiders are wrestling with even as they cheer the end of the Writers Guild of America strike. Union leaders said it again and again all summer — that Hollywood’s system for collective bargaining was “broken.” Turns out they were right.
The economic pain spread across the entertainment industry and beyond by showbiz’s summer of labor strife has been devastating. The situation demands both urgent action and long-term study because the industry dynamics that spurred the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are likely to persist in the near term. For the sake of avoiding more debilitating work stoppages, leaders from labor and management need to undertake a thoughtful and methodical review of decades-old contract terms and options for updating the underlying economic constructs of complicated compensation formulas. It’s a process that will also demand the...
That’s the vexing question that entertainment industry insiders are wrestling with even as they cheer the end of the Writers Guild of America strike. Union leaders said it again and again all summer — that Hollywood’s system for collective bargaining was “broken.” Turns out they were right.
The economic pain spread across the entertainment industry and beyond by showbiz’s summer of labor strife has been devastating. The situation demands both urgent action and long-term study because the industry dynamics that spurred the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are likely to persist in the near term. For the sake of avoiding more debilitating work stoppages, leaders from labor and management need to undertake a thoughtful and methodical review of decades-old contract terms and options for updating the underlying economic constructs of complicated compensation formulas. It’s a process that will also demand the...
- 10/11/2023
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
WGA members voted in favor of a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that ended one of Hollywood’s longest strikes.
The union reached an almost unanimous decision of the three-year Minimum Basic Agreement. Members of both the WGA West and WGA East cast their votes, with 99% of those who voted approving the now sealed deal that will run from Sept. 25, 2023 to May 31, 2026.
“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,...
The union reached an almost unanimous decision of the three-year Minimum Basic Agreement. Members of both the WGA West and WGA East cast their votes, with 99% of those who voted approving the now sealed deal that will run from Sept. 25, 2023 to May 31, 2026.
“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Charisma Madarang and Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
It’s officially over: The Writers Guild of America has ratified the three-year contract deal that ended the second-longest strike in the union’s history.
Ninety-nine percent of union members voted to support the contract in a vote that ended on Monday; the WGA says of the 8,525 valid votes cast there were 8,435 “yes” votes and 90 “no” votes (1 percent). The term of the new agreement is from Sept. 25, 2023, through May 1, 2026.
“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,” said Wgaw president Meredith Stiehm. “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago. We would not have been able to achieve this industry-changing contract without WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman, negotiating committee co-chairs Chris Keyser and David A. Goodman, the entire WGA negotiating committee, strike captains, lot coordinators, and the staff...
Ninety-nine percent of union members voted to support the contract in a vote that ended on Monday; the WGA says of the 8,525 valid votes cast there were 8,435 “yes” votes and 90 “no” votes (1 percent). The term of the new agreement is from Sept. 25, 2023, through May 1, 2026.
“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,” said Wgaw president Meredith Stiehm. “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago. We would not have been able to achieve this industry-changing contract without WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman, negotiating committee co-chairs Chris Keyser and David A. Goodman, the entire WGA negotiating committee, strike captains, lot coordinators, and the staff...
- 10/9/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny and Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Writers are overwhelmingly in favor of the new contract its guild has won from the studios. WGA members have voted in favor of ratifying the new minimum basic agreement, with an enormous 99 percent of members who voted approving the contract. The strike is officially over.
The guild said of the 8,525 valid votes cast, there were 8,435 “yes” votes and 90 “no” votes. Back in 2020, the last time the contract came up for a ratification vote, 98 percent of members approved it, but only 4,155 valid votes were cast.
Writers will now work under this contract effective through May 1, 2026.
“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,” said Wgaw president Meredith Stiehm. “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago. We would not have been able to achieve this industry-changing contract without WGA Chief Negotiator Ellen Stutzman,...
The guild said of the 8,525 valid votes cast, there were 8,435 “yes” votes and 90 “no” votes. Back in 2020, the last time the contract came up for a ratification vote, 98 percent of members approved it, but only 4,155 valid votes were cast.
Writers will now work under this contract effective through May 1, 2026.
“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,” said Wgaw president Meredith Stiehm. “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago. We would not have been able to achieve this industry-changing contract without WGA Chief Negotiator Ellen Stutzman,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
The writers’ strike officially ended Monday as the Writers Guild of America announced that its members overwhelmingly voted to ratify the contract negotiated by guild leaders after 148 days on the picket lines.
The WGA announced the result of the ratification vote on Monday, with 8,435 out of 8,525 votes received in favor of ratification for a vote percentage of 99%. The voter turnout was significantly above the ratification vote for the 2020 contract, in which 4,155 votes were received.
The term of the new agreement is from Sept. 25 through May 1, 2026.
“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,” WGA West president Meredith Stiehm said in a statement. “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago. We would not have been able to achieve this industry-changing contract without WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman, negotiating...
The WGA announced the result of the ratification vote on Monday, with 8,435 out of 8,525 votes received in favor of ratification for a vote percentage of 99%. The voter turnout was significantly above the ratification vote for the 2020 contract, in which 4,155 votes were received.
The term of the new agreement is from Sept. 25 through May 1, 2026.
“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,” WGA West president Meredith Stiehm said in a statement. “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago. We would not have been able to achieve this industry-changing contract without WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman, negotiating...
- 10/9/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
(Updated with SAG-AFTRA statement) Writers have officially approved their deal with the studios.
This afternoon, the WGA membership ratified its contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, bringing to a final end to the strike that lasted for nearly five months.
After a week of voting, a vast majority of the WGA membership cast their ballot in favor of ratifying the three-year Minimum Basic Agreement. Some 8,525 valid votes, or “99% of WGA members,” as the guild termed it just now, were cast by members of the 11,000-strong Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East.
“There were 8,435 ‘yes’ votes and 90 ‘no’ votes,” the guild announced in an email sent to members.
With major strides for scribes in terms of A.I. guardrails, residuals, writers room staffing, and data transparency, as well as pay hikes, the now sealed deal runs from September 25, 2023 to May 31, 2026.
Monday...
This afternoon, the WGA membership ratified its contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, bringing to a final end to the strike that lasted for nearly five months.
After a week of voting, a vast majority of the WGA membership cast their ballot in favor of ratifying the three-year Minimum Basic Agreement. Some 8,525 valid votes, or “99% of WGA members,” as the guild termed it just now, were cast by members of the 11,000-strong Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East.
“There were 8,435 ‘yes’ votes and 90 ‘no’ votes,” the guild announced in an email sent to members.
With major strides for scribes in terms of A.I. guardrails, residuals, writers room staffing, and data transparency, as well as pay hikes, the now sealed deal runs from September 25, 2023 to May 31, 2026.
Monday...
- 10/9/2023
- by Peter White and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: As the striking actors guild sits down today with the studio bosses for the first new talks in over 80 days, the writers are one step closer to officially ending their nearly 150-day labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
“We strongly endorse this proposed contract and encourage you to vote for its ratification,” said Writers Guild of America West president Meredith Stiehm and WGA East president Lisa Takeuchi in a joint message to guild members that started landing in scribes’ inboxes late this morning (read the full email below).
Over 11,000 members of the WGA on both coasts received their ratification ballots and support material Monday via email. Garnering unanimous support from the WGA West board and the WGA East council the tentative agreement that guild negotiators came to with studio CEOs on September 24 is now out for “members in good standing” to give a Yea or Nay to.
“We strongly endorse this proposed contract and encourage you to vote for its ratification,” said Writers Guild of America West president Meredith Stiehm and WGA East president Lisa Takeuchi in a joint message to guild members that started landing in scribes’ inboxes late this morning (read the full email below).
Over 11,000 members of the WGA on both coasts received their ratification ballots and support material Monday via email. Garnering unanimous support from the WGA West board and the WGA East council the tentative agreement that guild negotiators came to with studio CEOs on September 24 is now out for “members in good standing” to give a Yea or Nay to.
- 10/2/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Some of Hollywood’s most significant players return to the drawing board this Monday with plans to engage in another round of negotiations with SAG-AFTRA. Those in attendance are Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and NBCUniversal Studio Group chairman and chief content officer Donna Langley. The new meeting brings hope for closure to the ongoing strike that has kept SAG-AFTRA members from participating in film and television projects, with some exceptions.
The new meeting follows the end of the WGA strike. After months of back-and-forth and determination for better work conditions, the writers’ group recently agreed to return to work. Usually, a swarm of labor relations executives negotiate on behalf of the studios alongside the AMPTP. However, “by the time the CEOs began to engage again [with the WGA], they did so understanding that these problems that we were bringing to the table needed to be handled seriously,...
The new meeting follows the end of the WGA strike. After months of back-and-forth and determination for better work conditions, the writers’ group recently agreed to return to work. Usually, a swarm of labor relations executives negotiate on behalf of the studios alongside the AMPTP. However, “by the time the CEOs began to engage again [with the WGA], they did so understanding that these problems that we were bringing to the table needed to be handled seriously,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
They’re back.
Some of Hollywood’s top leaders — Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and NBCUniversal Studio Group chairman and chief content officer Donna Langley — are attending Monday’s negotiating session at the SAG-AFTRA national headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The performers union noted in a statement on Sept. 27 that “several executives” from member companies of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers would be attending, though the union at that point did not specify who.
The leaders’ attendance raises current hopes, widespread in the business, that the two parties can quickly close a deal. The presence of Sarandos, Zaslav, Iger and Langley during the denouement of the Writers Guild of America’s negotiations was “essential” to reaching their eventual tentative deal on Sept. 24, WGA negotiating committee co-chair Chris Keyser told THR a few days later.
Some of Hollywood’s top leaders — Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and NBCUniversal Studio Group chairman and chief content officer Donna Langley — are attending Monday’s negotiating session at the SAG-AFTRA national headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The performers union noted in a statement on Sept. 27 that “several executives” from member companies of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers would be attending, though the union at that point did not specify who.
The leaders’ attendance raises current hopes, widespread in the business, that the two parties can quickly close a deal. The presence of Sarandos, Zaslav, Iger and Langley during the denouement of the Writers Guild of America’s negotiations was “essential” to reaching their eventual tentative deal on Sept. 24, WGA negotiating committee co-chair Chris Keyser told THR a few days later.
- 10/2/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 2009, I wrote a book about James Cameron called The Futurist, in which I detailed the Avatar and Titanic filmmaker’s complicated relationship with technology. Cameron has spent his career on the bleeding edge of science, from the visual effects he helped pioneer to the submersibles he designed and rode to the deepest points in the world’s oceans. But much of Cameron’s storytelling has been devoted to warning against technology’s dark potential, starting with 1984’s The Terminator, in which an artificially intelligent defense network known as Skynet becomes sentient and starts a war between humans and machines.
“It’s not the machines that will destroy us, it is ourselves,” Cameron told me when I interviewed him for The Futurist. “However, we will use the machines to do it.”
I couldn’t help but think of this conversation when I learned this week, thanks to a remarkable piece...
“It’s not the machines that will destroy us, it is ourselves,” Cameron told me when I interviewed him for The Futurist. “However, we will use the machines to do it.”
I couldn’t help but think of this conversation when I learned this week, thanks to a remarkable piece...
- 9/29/2023
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A lot can happen in 146 days. When the Writers Guild strike started in May, Drew Barrymore was one of its early folk heroes, when she stepped down as host of the MTV Movie & TV Awards in solidarity. But four months later, Barrymore became one of the strike’s most reviled public figures when she tried to rationalize the decision to bring back her daytime talk show in the midst of a work stoppage. There were many winners and losers to come out of this hot labor summer, and it’s not over yet, as SAG-AFTRA looks to seal its own deal with the AMPTP. But as the WGA prepares to vote on its hard-fought new contract, here are some of the entities that made it to the other side on the rise — or a bit imperiled.
Winners Adam Conover (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images)
Adam Conover
The standup and...
Winners Adam Conover (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images)
Adam Conover
The standup and...
- 9/29/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
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Writers are finally back to work in Hollywood after the WGA and studios reached a deal, which has left many in the industry asking, “What took so long?”
Chris Keyser and David A. Goodman, the co-chairs of WGA’s negotiating committee, pin the blame on the stall tactics that the studios used alongside the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, one that was rendered ineffective by the solidarity built between the WGA and other unions throughout the summer.
“The AMPTP was created in the 80s during the Reagan era, a very anti-labor time. Now, labor is reasserting itself over the last few years, and the AMPTP can’t use old tactics anymore of stalling and trying to squeeze the unions,” Keyser told TheWrap.
He continued, “The broad response I...
Writers are finally back to work in Hollywood after the WGA and studios reached a deal, which has left many in the industry asking, “What took so long?”
Chris Keyser and David A. Goodman, the co-chairs of WGA’s negotiating committee, pin the blame on the stall tactics that the studios used alongside the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, one that was rendered ineffective by the solidarity built between the WGA and other unions throughout the summer.
“The AMPTP was created in the 80s during the Reagan era, a very anti-labor time. Now, labor is reasserting itself over the last few years, and the AMPTP can’t use old tactics anymore of stalling and trying to squeeze the unions,” Keyser told TheWrap.
He continued, “The broad response I...
- 9/29/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
After the Writers Guild of America struck a tentative deal that brought an end to its historic strike, on Monday SAG-AFTRA will be headed back to the bargaining table in an attempt to do the same — and many in town are hopeful for a quick resolution.
The performers union will be hosting the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers at its headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard to resume talks on its new three-year film and television contract. Federal mediators will not be present on the first day of negotiations as they were in the final hours before talks stalled on July 12, The Hollywood Reporter has learned, though “several executives from AMPTP member companies will be in attendance,” the union said in its announcement of the start date.
When SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP broke off their negotiations in July, they left a long list of issues unresolved, from meal break penalty...
The performers union will be hosting the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers at its headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard to resume talks on its new three-year film and television contract. Federal mediators will not be present on the first day of negotiations as they were in the final hours before talks stalled on July 12, The Hollywood Reporter has learned, though “several executives from AMPTP member companies will be in attendance,” the union said in its announcement of the start date.
When SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP broke off their negotiations in July, they left a long list of issues unresolved, from meal break penalty...
- 9/29/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the 22nd week of his Deadline podcast Strike Talk, Billy Ray sits with WGA Negotiating Committee co-chairs David Goodman and Chris Keyser to learn what happened inside the room during the negotiations and what gains were made in the deal struck Sunday with the AMPTP.
Ray has been part of past WGA negotiations and knows the ins and outs, and the trio break down everything from why it took so long for the CEOs to join the talks and break the stalemate, to concessions gained on meaningful streaming residuals, limitations on AI, curtailing the use of mini-rooms to save money, and creating exceptions for showrunners who solely write their series episodes.
For fans of Ray’s superb Strike Talk podcast that has become a North Star for writers, he reveals that for solidarity’s sake, he will hang in and do these podcasts until SAG-AFTRA makes its deal. The...
Ray has been part of past WGA negotiations and knows the ins and outs, and the trio break down everything from why it took so long for the CEOs to join the talks and break the stalemate, to concessions gained on meaningful streaming residuals, limitations on AI, curtailing the use of mini-rooms to save money, and creating exceptions for showrunners who solely write their series episodes.
For fans of Ray’s superb Strike Talk podcast that has become a North Star for writers, he reveals that for solidarity’s sake, he will hang in and do these podcasts until SAG-AFTRA makes its deal. The...
- 9/29/2023
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
Welcome to the 232nd episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
This week, we’re looking at the impact of Hollywood’s dual strike from a different point of view — that of the Entertainment Community Fund, which is helping workers impacted by the work stoppage get by. Here’s how this week’s episode plays out:
1. The Writers Strike Is Over!
After nearly 150 days, the Writers Guild of America’s strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is officially over as the guild’s 11,500 members now head back to work. This segment looks at the tentative,...
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
This week, we’re looking at the impact of Hollywood’s dual strike from a different point of view — that of the Entertainment Community Fund, which is helping workers impacted by the work stoppage get by. Here’s how this week’s episode plays out:
1. The Writers Strike Is Over!
After nearly 150 days, the Writers Guild of America’s strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is officially over as the guild’s 11,500 members now head back to work. This segment looks at the tentative,...
- 9/29/2023
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If it’s possible to pinpoint an exact moment when the writers strike that was once feared to extend into 2024 reached the beginning of the end, it was on Wednesday, Sept. 20, when the Writers Guild of America negotiators received what they had been demanding for four months: a full counterproposal.
“My first thought was, ‘My God — f—ing finally. Finally they get it,” WGA negotiating committee member Adam Conover told TheWrap. “They get what they have to do.”
On that day, the WGA met with four Hollywood CEOs from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) at the latter’s headquarters at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. It had been nearly a month after a previous round of “frosty” talks, as one insider put it, barely got them anywhere and ended with the studios publicly releasing a proposal that left writers angrier than ever.
But WGA negotiators who spoke...
“My first thought was, ‘My God — f—ing finally. Finally they get it,” WGA negotiating committee member Adam Conover told TheWrap. “They get what they have to do.”
On that day, the WGA met with four Hollywood CEOs from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) at the latter’s headquarters at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. It had been nearly a month after a previous round of “frosty” talks, as one insider put it, barely got them anywhere and ended with the studios publicly releasing a proposal that left writers angrier than ever.
But WGA negotiators who spoke...
- 9/28/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
The Writers Guild of America, on the union’s first day after its historic 148-day strike, staged a “rock concert” — as one showrunner described it — Wednesday night at the Hollywood Palladium as the guild celebrated its leadership and solidarity while outlining the deal points in its tentative Minimum Basic Agreement to its membership.
The meeting opened with a minutes-long standing ovation for the negotiating committee and was followed by a video featuring scenes and interviews from the picket lines and from various rallies held throughout the past 148 days of the work stoppage.
WGA West President Meredith Stiehm opened the meeting with the “official” announcement that the guild had reached a tentative new three-year Minimum Basic Agreement after what was the union’s second-longest strike in its history. Her remarks were met with one standing ovation after another as she recognized each and every member of the WGA’s leadership, board...
The meeting opened with a minutes-long standing ovation for the negotiating committee and was followed by a video featuring scenes and interviews from the picket lines and from various rallies held throughout the past 148 days of the work stoppage.
WGA West President Meredith Stiehm opened the meeting with the “official” announcement that the guild had reached a tentative new three-year Minimum Basic Agreement after what was the union’s second-longest strike in its history. Her remarks were met with one standing ovation after another as she recognized each and every member of the WGA’s leadership, board...
- 9/28/2023
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Writers Guild of America’s tentative agreement with studios and streamers includes several firsts for the union, including protections against artificial intelligence encroaching on writers’ work and guarantees on minimum staffing levels for many series. It also can cut writers in on the success of streaming shows, something that’s never happened before.
The success-based residual will pay writers of streaming series and movies a bonus if the equivalent of 20 percent or more of a streaming service’s U.S. subscribers watch it within three months of release. It won’t be an easy threshold to reach, based on the limited viewing data on streaming programming that’s publicly available, but it’s not impossible, either.
Here’s how the new residual will work.
The Basics
The WGA’s agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers enshrines the recent definition of a streaming “view” as its measure of success.
The success-based residual will pay writers of streaming series and movies a bonus if the equivalent of 20 percent or more of a streaming service’s U.S. subscribers watch it within three months of release. It won’t be an easy threshold to reach, based on the limited viewing data on streaming programming that’s publicly available, but it’s not impossible, either.
Here’s how the new residual will work.
The Basics
The WGA’s agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers enshrines the recent definition of a streaming “view” as its measure of success.
- 9/27/2023
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As of Wednesday, the 148-day 2023 writers strike — a bold attempt to reshape the business for scribes from Hollywood’s most audacious union — is officially over.
The sprawling tentative agreement that brought an end to the historic work stoppage was reached on Sept. 24 after Writers Guild of America negotiators and some of the industry’s top leaders had been in talks for days on the new three-year contract. Though it’s still subject to member ratification to take effect, the deal addresses a wide array of union priorities like setting minimum staffing for writers rooms, putting in place guardrails on the use of AI, and rewarding writers if their projects pop on streaming services.
So how did the pact come together? In an interview on Tuesday night, the union’s negotiating committee co-chair Chris Keyser and union president Meredith Stiehm offered their take, noting that once four top executives — Disney’s Bob Iger,...
The sprawling tentative agreement that brought an end to the historic work stoppage was reached on Sept. 24 after Writers Guild of America negotiators and some of the industry’s top leaders had been in talks for days on the new three-year contract. Though it’s still subject to member ratification to take effect, the deal addresses a wide array of union priorities like setting minimum staffing for writers rooms, putting in place guardrails on the use of AI, and rewarding writers if their projects pop on streaming services.
So how did the pact come together? In an interview on Tuesday night, the union’s negotiating committee co-chair Chris Keyser and union president Meredith Stiehm offered their take, noting that once four top executives — Disney’s Bob Iger,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
David Goodman, Chris Keyser and Meredith Stiehm have spent this year in warrior mode on behalf of their fellow 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America.
Goodman and Keyser, both past presidents of the WGA West, were co-chairs of the WGA’s 25-member negotiating committee. Stiehm was re-elected earlier this month to her second two-year term as WGA West president. All three are veteran showrunners who went into these momentous negotiations determined to shore up the future of employment for writers in the industry that has generated so much for so many.
Here, as the sun formally sets on the 2023 WGA strike, the trio discuss the highs and lows, ups and downs of the long fight, and they detail what they view as the existential crises addressed in the WGA’s hard-fought three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
There’s a lot to unpack in this deal.
Goodman and Keyser, both past presidents of the WGA West, were co-chairs of the WGA’s 25-member negotiating committee. Stiehm was re-elected earlier this month to her second two-year term as WGA West president. All three are veteran showrunners who went into these momentous negotiations determined to shore up the future of employment for writers in the industry that has generated so much for so many.
Here, as the sun formally sets on the 2023 WGA strike, the trio discuss the highs and lows, ups and downs of the long fight, and they detail what they view as the existential crises addressed in the WGA’s hard-fought three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
There’s a lot to unpack in this deal.
- 9/27/2023
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
On Saturday, Sept. 23, Disney CEO Bob Iger was in Beverly Hills, seemingly living his best life. He was at dinner with Paul McCartney and Eagles alum Joe Walsh at La Dolce Vita, an Old World Italian restaurant with long white tablecloths and dark red leather booths. Some people were discreetly snapping photos, as was to be expected with a Beatle in the house.
But not everyone was focused only on McCartney. By the time the dinner was over, blurry images of Iger at the table with McCartney had been posted in the WhatsApp group chat that includes nearly 500 showrunners. Then someone posted an image of a “Writers’ Tears” whiskey bottle (yes, a real brand), suggesting that it should be sent to Iger’s table. No one did that, but the table did receive a round of shots with a note reading, “Expectantly, from the showrunners of Hollywood.”
For days, there...
But not everyone was focused only on McCartney. By the time the dinner was over, blurry images of Iger at the table with McCartney had been posted in the WhatsApp group chat that includes nearly 500 showrunners. Then someone posted an image of a “Writers’ Tears” whiskey bottle (yes, a real brand), suggesting that it should be sent to Iger’s table. No one did that, but the table did receive a round of shots with a note reading, “Expectantly, from the showrunners of Hollywood.”
For days, there...
- 9/26/2023
- by Kim Masters and Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Writers Guild of America’s announcement that it has reached a potentially strike-ending deal with Hollywood studios was met with cheers by entertainment union members, including the union that it shared picket lines with for months, SAG-AFTRA.
“SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines,” the actors’ guild said in a statement.
A more barbed statement came from Lindsay Dougherty, Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 399, who praised the WGA for their resilience while swiping at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios in labor talks.
“The militancy of the writers holding the line and hitting the pavement exemplified their unwavering commitment to their core issues,” Dougherty wrote “Their fight has also inspired a renewed solidarity among Hollywood workers that will live long past this bargaining cycle.”
“Solidarity,...
“SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines,” the actors’ guild said in a statement.
A more barbed statement came from Lindsay Dougherty, Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 399, who praised the WGA for their resilience while swiping at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios in labor talks.
“The militancy of the writers holding the line and hitting the pavement exemplified their unwavering commitment to their core issues,” Dougherty wrote “Their fight has also inspired a renewed solidarity among Hollywood workers that will live long past this bargaining cycle.”
“Solidarity,...
- 9/25/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Larry Wilmore says “finally.” Greg Grunberg says “Mazel tov! Writers Strike Deal!!!”
Bill Wolkoff promises not to picket Dancing with the Stars.
The Writers Guild has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to end its strike after nearly five months, and needless to say — the members have thoughts, lots of happy thoughts. And it’s all spilling out on social media.
Here’s a roundup of their reactions so far:
Billy Ray: “To all my fellow writers— You earned this. You saved our profession. Now let’s continue to stand w the actors. And IATSE. And the Teamsters. And labor everywhere. That’s how we’ll save America.”
Wolkoff: “Day 146. It gives me great pleasure to say we will Not be picketing Dancing With The Stars tomorrow! I really can’t wait to watch the premiere on Tuesday, because we did it!
Bill Wolkoff promises not to picket Dancing with the Stars.
The Writers Guild has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to end its strike after nearly five months, and needless to say — the members have thoughts, lots of happy thoughts. And it’s all spilling out on social media.
Here’s a roundup of their reactions so far:
Billy Ray: “To all my fellow writers— You earned this. You saved our profession. Now let’s continue to stand w the actors. And IATSE. And the Teamsters. And labor everywhere. That’s how we’ll save America.”
Wolkoff: “Day 146. It gives me great pleasure to say we will Not be picketing Dancing With The Stars tomorrow! I really can’t wait to watch the premiere on Tuesday, because we did it!
- 9/25/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
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