On the 12th of July, 2023, it was reported that the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) and other major Hollywood studios would not return to negotiations with WGA (Writers Guild of America) until late October 2023 at the earliest. Studio executives, who anonymously spoke with Deadline Hollywood, stated that by the time October arrives, many writers would be financially strained to the point where they would lose their housing, believing it would allow them to be at the high ground to determine the terms of any potential deals. These statements alone caused representatives of AMPTP to distance themselves from those anonymous sources, stating that they must sign a deal as soon as possible. Upon the arrival of the 1st of August, 2023, WGA announced that they would meet with AMPTP that following Friday to discuss negotiations involving the strike. The parties of WGA and SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) met on the 4th of that same month; however, no agreement was made.

AMPTP and WGA agreed to continue contract negotiations on the 10th of August; the first meeting was set for the day after. Afterward, the WGA wrote that AMPTP had indicated a willingness to make consensus in certain areas, including protecting from AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology. However, AMPTP stated that studios were “unwilling to engage” on certain proposals, including success-based residual payment from streaming services. Despite this, WGA informed their members that they received a counter proposal and were evaluating it. On the 22nd of August, 2023, AMPTP offered a proposal explaining the rules of AI content, but by the 25th of that same month, talks between the writers and the studios were at a stalemate.

On the 14th of September, AMPTP stated that they met with WGA a day prior and agreed to restart negotiations the following week. Four days later, the union and the studios would continue negotiations on the 20th of that month. Meeting with CEOs such as Bob Iger (Disney), David Zaslav (Warner Bros.), Ted Sarandos (Netflix), and Donna Langley (Universal Pictures), negotiations seem to have finally progressed. For three days, negotiations continued between the respective parties until finally, on the 24th of September, 2023, the writers and the studios reached a tentative agreement, thus ending the strike. The WGA strike revealed multiple factors involving the relationships between the writers and the studios they previously served, leading the entertainment industry somewhat to a screeching halt.

Now that the strike has officially concluded, one can only assume that relations will continue to last or fracture for another potential strike to take place…