Lionsgate Freezes Writer and Producer Deals Amid Prolonged Hollywood Strike
As the Hollywood strike enters its 140th day, Lionsgate has taken the step to suspend its writer and producer agreements, according to exclusive information obtained by TheWrap.
The company has committed to continuing payments to its assistants and development executives until at least October 1. As the date approaches, Lionsgate may choose to extend these payments, a source familiar with the situation revealed to TheWrap.
Deadline, which initially broke the news, disclosed that this suspension affects the studio's agreements with notable figures such as Paul Feig of Feigco Entertainment, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum of The Tannenbaum Co., Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly of Timberman/Beverly Productions, Michael London of Groundswell Productions, and Joseph Sikora, the lead in Starz's “Power: Force,” part of the “Power” Universe series.
Lionsgate joins the ranks of Apple, Warner Bros. TV, Disney Entertainment TV, and NBC, all of which have recently halted various agreements over the past few weeks.
This development precedes the resumption of discussions between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the body representing studio executives in negotiations with the guilds.
In a memo to its members on Monday morning, the guild stated, “The WGA and AMPTP now have a confirmed schedule to bargain this week, starting on Wednesday. You might not hear from us in the coming days while we are negotiating, but know that our focus is getting a fair deal for writers as soon as possible,” emphasized WGA leaders on Monday.
Formal negotiations between the two groups recommenced in mid-August, over three months after the WGA initiated the strike on May 2. However, these talks hit an impasse after just 33 meetings, following a tense encounter on August 22 between the guild and several top studio CEOs, including Bob Iger of Disney, Ted Sarandos of Netflix, and Donna Langley of Universal.
The WGA characterized the meeting as more of a one-sided presentation, with the CEOs pressing for acceptance of the counteroffer presented by AMPTP on August 11, despite the guild having already responded with a counterproposal of their own. Subsequently, AMPTP publicized the details of their counteroffer, a move that the WGA viewed as an attempt to create discord within their ranks.
Communication stopped at this juncture, although formal termination of negotiations was not declared. The WGA urged studios to present a counteroffer, while AMPTP insisted it was the guild's turn. Now, negotiations resume, with both WGA and SAG-AFTRA joining the strike on July 13, displaying sufficient unity to exert pressure on Drew Barrymore and Bill Maher, successfully convincing them to reverse their initial decision to produce new episodes of their respective talk shows.
