Film and television writers from around the world will be picketing and rallying Wednesday in support of the Writers Guild strike, which is now in its 39th day.
24.05.2023 - 18:53 / deadline.com
Endeavor President and COO Mark Shapiro said the ultimate resolution of the WGA strike will improve the fortunes of the company’s representation business.
“This is a growth opportunity for us,” Shapiro said during an appearance at a media conference hosted by Wall Street firm JP Morgan. “When this gets settled, however some of these issues get sliced, the writers are going to do better. That’s just a fact. They’re not coming back for lesser deals or the same deals. They’re going to do better economically. And as they do better economically, that plays into the ecosystem. And then we, as a leader in that space, WME, we’ll take our fair share of that ecosystem.”
Shapiro also reiterated points Endeavor execs have made recently about the company’s diversification across fashion, digtial, sports and other areas. TV and film, the company has said, represent about half of core agency revenue.
Endeavor is “in a good place” despite the current production shutdowns during the WGA impasse’s fourth week and soon-to-expire contracts for the DGA and SAG-AFTRA, Shapiro maintained. Compared with 2022, “our back ends are significantly up,” he said, with revenue from residuals “stemming the tide.” Ultimately, Shapiro continued, the strike “is temporary. That’s what this is. Is it two months? Is it three months? I don’t know. Is the debt ceiling going to get figured out before the deadline? These are negotiations that take place, and both sides are really trenched in and there are significant issues, but it’s temporary.”
Recent cutbacks by media companies coping with an advertising slowdown and sluggish economy have amplified the perceived impact of the labor strife, but Shapiro predicted a bounce-back. The strike “happens to be coming
Film and television writers from around the world will be picketing and rallying Wednesday in support of the Writers Guild strike, which is now in its 39th day.
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Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International U.K. screenwriters are set to gather in London’s Leicester Square in support of the Writers Guild of America and its ongoing strike action. The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain is inviting members to join a major June 14 protest for the U.S. writers strike, which has passed its first month. The protest is part of the Global Day of Solidarity, which is organized by the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds and the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe, of which WGGB is a member. WGA members, as well as members of the Federation of Entertainment Unions, will be joining the protest, according to the WGGB.
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EXCLUSIVE: Half of the 46 projects currently in the California film incentives program have submitted “force majeure” requests seeking waivers to extend their mandated start-date requirements due to the ongoing Writers Guild strike, according to the California Film Commission, which administers the tax credits program. The number of approved film and TV projects seeking force majeure delays is expected to grow as the strike, now in its 25th day, grinds on.
Asked about the WGA strike at the Cannes Film Festival press conference Friday for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, director James Mangold said, “No movie happens without a great script, and no great script happens without writers.”
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy showed support for the writers strike while attending the Cannes press conference for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Kennedy has been a producer on the Harrison Ford-led franchise since its first installment. “When it comes to acknowledging the importance of writing, I think everybody up here has demonstrated that you can’t do any of this without great writing,” Kennedy said. “You can’t do any of this without great writing. All of us who create anything…I am in full support and I know most people are in full support of the writers getting what they deserve.” Kennedy said she’d like to see the strike resolved “in an environment where people can talk about what are some really complicated issues that are effecting the entire industry,” but it’s “going to take time.”
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WGA strike.“We are grateful for the contribution writers make to our company and respect their right to demonstrate it may take some time, but I know we will eventually get through this and the result will be a stronger foundation on which we can all move forward together,” Chairman of NBCUniversal Mark Lazarus said during the New York event. Unsurprisingly, the event scaled back on its celebrities, relying on more executives and reality TV stars to introduce its clips and segments.