SAG-AFTRA & Studios “Closer & Closer” To A Deal; More Talks Set For Thursday
02.11.2023 - 00:22
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: There’s real movement in talks between SAG-AFTRA and the studios for a new three-year contract,
No deal yet, but a framework is in place for a potential agreement, we hear.
Back in negotiations Wednesday on day 111 of the actors strike, the two sides “are moving closer and closer” to a deal, a SAG-AFTRA source says. Whether that leads to a tentative agreement in the next few days or next week remains to be seen, but a more “upbeat” mood is now pervading the virtual talks – “for what that’s worth,” an industry insider close to negotiations said.
“We’re beyond cautious optimism now, I’d say,” the source added, with a swipe at the term that has been echoing out of the talks the past few days.
SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and AMTP president Carol Lombardini were in the driver’s seats once again today, with smaller specialized teams drilling into the details. As such, the parties appear to taking at least some of the sting out of the thorny topics of AI and what has been termed “success-based compensation” for casts of hit streaming shows and movies.
“There’s a let’s-get-this-done attitude in the room,” a studio-side source said about the bullish vibe of today’s talks that did not include the CEO Gang of Four of NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley, Disney’s Bob Iger, Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos. Another source added, “I know the big issues are going well, but they continue to be going over AI wording,” and “it’s going to take a few days.”
Today’s deliberations went into the late afternoon, with the parties anticipating further talks tomorrow, November 2.
This latest state of affairs comes on the heels of a multi-union Unity Picket rally outside Disney earlier