Can it be? Is it really true? It looks like the Writer’s strike that has been crippling Hollywood, putting thousands of people out of works, and costing non-writers and non-producers millions and millions of dollars in lost wages and revenue, may actually be ending VERY soon.
I talked to a couple of people close to what’s going on, and they’ve confirmed that reports of an impending deal are accurate. The two key element in this rapid advancement are 1) The producers coming to a quick agreement with the Directors guild over the exact same issue the WGA is fighting with the producers over. And 2) The WGA leadership pulling their demands for jurisdiction over Reality TV and the right to sympathy strike while under contract off the table. When these two things happened, you knew a deal wouldn’t be far off.
One person told me “I’ll be shocked if we don’t hear an official announcement of the end to the strike by next Friday”. Variety is also sounding optimistic:
Insiders said there was enough progress being made to raise the prospect of WGA leaders bringing a contract proposal directly to the boards of the WGA West and WGA East, possibly bypassing the resumption of formal bargaining between the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Insiders indicated that lawyers for both sides were exchanging drafts of proposed contract language this weekend.
This is fantastic news. Let’s hope it actually works out.
