Studio And Streamer Execs Are Rapidly Reinstating Suspended Deals After Writers Strike Ends
28.09.2023 - 22:59
/ etcanada.com
Now that the Writers Guild of America strike is officially over, deals that were suspended are in the process of being reinstated.
Hours after the strike concluded on Wednesday, studio and streaming executives were busy at work, calling the writers and producers whose deals were withheld during the five-month stoppage. According to sources, as per The Hollywood Reporter, suspensions issued by Warner Bros. Television to top showrunners — including Greg Berlanti, J.J. Abrams and more — are being lifted by the studio, effective Thursday. Other studios have also began to lift suspensions, with the process likely to proceed through early next week.
READ MORE: ‘The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’ And ‘Late Night With Seth Meyers’ To Return To TV Next Week As 148-Day WAG Strike Ends
Though, it’s unclear if the deals are being extended to make up for lost time when they were suspended, which, if not, could put writers and studios in a rocky situation. For example, if a deal expired over the summer, studios could decide not to add on the months of work that were missed — and the money that came with it. However, sources note that several top producers like Berlanti and Abrams have clauses in their deals that automatically make up for the lost time, clocking in hours to the back end of their deals.
Nonetheless, throughout the strike, not a single overall or first-look deal was completely cancelled under force majeure clauses that would’ve permitted studios and streamers to do, if they wanted to. Additionally, THR reported earlier this month that many studio and streaming sources said they still want to be in business with the deals that endured the strike. As for those that studios no longer wanted to pursue, execs said they