There's good news this morning for both members of the Writer's Guild of America and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and for film and TV fans impatiently awaiting new things to watch.
A 'tentative' agreement has been struck between the WGA and major streamers, which will bring the 146-day strike to an end.
The strike began on May 2nd and one of its main tenets was that writers were essentially unfairly paid in this new era of streaming-based movies and TV shows.
Negotiations resumed last week, with the heads of big studios - Bob Iger of Disney, Ted Sarandos of Netflix, David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery and Donna Langley of NBCUniversal - believed to have taken part in talks directly.
"We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership," the WGA announced in an email to members last night.
Members still have to vote to approve the new agreement tomorrow, but picketing has been suspended in the meantime.
However, the SAG-Aftra strike, which involves actors, is ongoing - although they released a statement congratulating writers on reaching a deal. "SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines," the actors union said in a statement. "While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP’s tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members."
What does the end of the strike mean? It means that talk shows like 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon' and 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' could return within a matter of days, pending tomorrow's vote.
Writers, however, have been warned not to resume working until the deal is voted upon by members on Tuesday - but considering they have been out of work for five months, it's expected to pass.
