SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP Make Progress in Talks, Will Meet Again Thursday

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor The resiliency of women against long odds and low expectations was the theme of the night on Thursday as Variety and Lifetime toasted four of the entertainment industry’s brightest stars at the annual Power of Women event. Fantasia Barrino, star of Warner Bros. upcoming remake of “The Color Purple,” dedicated her Power of Women kudo to Celie, the woefully mistreated character she plays in the film, as well as her own daughter.

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland on Friday laid out how the actors’ 118-day strike was ended and their thoughts on the deal with the AMPTP.

ended on Wednesday, Nov. 8. SAG-AFTRA won protections on a range of issues from pay to health benefits – but the most controversial issue was zombies.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA had settled dozens of issues, ranging from pension and health contributions, to page limits for self-taped auditions, to pay for background actors. But there was still the small matter of zombies. The union was worried that studios could use artificial intelligence to reanimate dead actors, or to create a digital Frankenstein out of the body parts of real actors.

President Joe Biden weighed in on the tentative agreement to resolve the SAG-AFTRA strike, pointing to it as an example of how “collective bargaining works.”

actors’ strike that first began in July.SAG-AFTRA took to social media to announce the end of the strike, writing: “Our TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously to approve a tentative agreement with the AMPTP [Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers]. As of 12:01 a.m.

EXCLUSIVE: The studios have told SAG-AFTRA they need to come to a deal ASAP to save what’s left of the broadcast season and the 2024 Summer movie slate.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor In the quarter that included the marriage of UFC and WWE under the TKO Group umbrella, Endeavor saw its Q3 revenue rise despite headwinds from Hollywood strikes and other market conditions, but operating expenses climbed even more. Endeavor’s conference call with analysts today is expected to give Wall Streeters a chance to grill company executives, including CEO Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer, on the news earlier this month that Endeavor is considering “strategic alternatives” for some of its businesses.

EXCLUSIVE: A deal may not be in the cards tonight, but SAG-AFTRA and the studios could be heading back to negotiations within hours.

EXCLUSIVE: Today’s meeting between SAG-AFTRA and an expanded group of studio CEOs has just ended as the guild scrutinizes the AMPTP‘s long awaited response to their last comprehensive counter.

Valerie Wu Intern Variety has been nominated for 97 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards including nominations for best entertainment publication and best entertainment news website. “We are incredibly proud of the Variety newsroom for another outstanding year as the No. 1 news organization covering the business of Hollywood,” said co-editors-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton.

EXCLUSIVE: There’s real movement in talks between SAG-AFTRA and the studios for a new three-year contract,

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Progress has been made toward ending the SAG-AFTRA strike in recent days, but “a lot” of issues are still on the table, the union’s chief negotiator said Monday morning. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the chief negotiator and executive director of the guild, made an appearance at the Disney picket lines. In an interview outside the studio gates, he would not hazard a guess as to when the strike will be over.

EXCLUSIVE: Sunday will not be a day of rest for SAG-AFTRA leadership and the studios this weekend.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor “That’s like a billion dollars in Indiana.” That quip from Bobby Axelrod is one of the memorable lines in the series finale of “Billions,” the Showtime drama series that wrapped its seven-season run Oct. 27 with the crowd-pleasing episode “Admirals Fund.” Axelrod, played by Damian Lewis, delivers that line as he takes a victory lap after demolishing his latest foil, rival hedge fund manager Mike Prince (Corey Stoll). It’s a reference to that fact that Prince, after an elaborate sting pulled off by Axelrod and the core “Billions” ensemble, is left wiped out but for $100 million he invested with Black-owned banks a few years ago.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor “Billions” ends where it began. At the close of “Admirals Fund,” Episode 12 of Season 7 and the series finale of the Showtime drama series, Bobby Axelrod is scheming once again to make a new fortune with his merry band of alpha-male traders, who are revved up by his leadership to kill in the name of capitalism.

EXCLUSIVE: SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said it on the picket lines earlier today, and now it seems that “cautious optimism,” as an insider also stated, has become the takeaway term Thursday for the state of talks between the guild and the studios.

Negotiations scheduled Wednesday between SAG-AFTRA and the studios didn’t happen after all — and everyone’s good with that.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Negotiations on a new SAG-AFTRA contract are set to continue on Wednesday, as the studios aim to salvage the 2024 summer box office. The union resumed bargaining on Tuesday for the first time in almost two weeks. The studios delivered a new offer on the most contentious issue — streaming residuals — that they hoped would break the deadlock that has led to a 103-day strike.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Aiming to grow its global direct-to-consumer distribution, Paramount+ has set the international rollout plans for its premium and ad tier subscriptions following a launch across more than 45 markets last year. The premium plan will launch in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico on Nov.