EXCLUSIVE: Brace yourselves, because regardless of whether SAG-AFTRA goes on strike this week, the studios have no intention of sitting down with the Writers Guild for several more months. According to one industry veteran intimately familiar with the POV of studio CEOs, it seems we’re in for a long strike, and they’re going to let it bleed out. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is planning to dig in hard this fall before even considering more talks with the WGA. Late October is the intended time for any potential discussions, as revealed by a top-tier producer close to the Carol Lombardini-run AMPTP.
While some may dismiss this as mere “cynical strike talk,” sources from studios and streamers around town confirm this strategy. It’s no secret that grinding down the guild has been part of the plan for quite some time, even before the WGA went on strike. Everyone involved knew that this labor cycle would be a game-changer for Hollywood, and it seems that the studios and streamers are determined to “break the WGA,” as one studio executive boldly stated.
Their plan is to wait until most writers are financially strained after five months on the picket lines with no work. The endgame is to let things drag on until union members start losing their homes and apartments. It may sound cruel, but the studios and streamers see it as a necessary evil. They believe that financially strapped writers will eventually go to WGA leadership and demand a restart of talks, giving the studios and streamers the upper hand in negotiating the terms of any possible deal.
This severe approach stems from the guild’s successful battle with agencies in 2021 over dismantling the practice of packaging. The WGA’s tactics in that fight served as a warning sign to many in the studio and streamer C-suites. They fear that giving in to the writers now will set a precedent for future contract cycles, leading to strikes across various unions.
Despite persistent public offers from the guild to meet, there have been no discussions between the AMPTP and the WGA since the strike began. Studio bosses have offered praise to the writers but no concrete proposals to get them back to work. Meanwhile, network schedules have shifted to unscripted shows, and streamers have been acquiring foreign content to save money on shuttered productions.
In a parallel track, negotiations with the Director’s Guild proved successful, with ratification coming last month. The studios hope to follow a similar path with SAG-AFTRA, even if they join the WGA on the picket lines. A new SAG-AFTRA deal could allow actors to promote projects already set for release, further strengthening the WGA’s position.
As of now, neither the AMPTP nor the WGA has responded to requests for comment. We will update this post if and when they do.
