The WGA Strike Is Approaching The Finish Line, But What About SAG-AFTRA?

The Writers Guild of America might finally be reaching a deal with the studios — but another major guild hasn't followed suit just yet.

Reports surfaced on Saturday afternoon in major trade publications like Deadline that the WGA and the AMPTP (the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) have been in talks since Thursday, with Carol Lombardini representing the AMPTP and Ellen Stutzman leading negotiations on behalf of the WGA. According to the reports, a three-year deal has been reached, and lawyers are in the room to make sure the fine print looks good for both parties. 

"The intention was always to wrap this up by the weekend," an inside source told Deadline. "That was the desire on both sides of the table." The guild has been on strike since May 1 over major modern issues like streaming residuals, the advent of artificial intelligence technology and its presence in writers' rooms, and those rooms themselves (a relatively recent practice known as "mini-rooms" excluded newer faces from making their way in the industry). News of a deal is especially striking (pun definitely intended) when you consider that, in mid-July, Deadline reported that the studios were planning to quite literally starve out the striking writers until they suffered so much that they gave in. Then, SAG-AFTRA joined the WGA on the picket lines... so what happens there?

In that same Deadline report regarding the WGA's potential deal with the AMPTP, the outlet notes that the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have been closely aligned since the actors joined writers on the picket line in mid-July (not long after that report about studios starving out the writers, in fact). Deadline said that SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, has been privy to reports directly from the WGA at each stage ... so if the writers do reach and finalize their agreement, the actors could follow soon.

The reason that both guilds went on strike at once is because, frankly, their asks from studios are quite similar. Artificial intelligence is as much of a threat to actors as it is to writers — news broke at one point that studios wanted to digitally scan background actors and use their likenesses in perpetuity — and the lack of residuals from shows on streaming is a huge problem for actors and writers alike. With actors on strike, though, major studios don't have anyone to do press for their big releases, and some, like "Dune 2," have already been pushed back. 

Hopefully, if the WGA gets studios to agree to their asks, SAG-AFTRA will be able to ink a similar deal, and some of the industry's most talented people can get back to making great movies and TV shows — and this historically long dual strike will come to an end that makes sure these artists get everything they deserve.