In the latest development in the ongoing Hollywood strikes, Lionsgate Television has suspended overall and first-look deals with non-writing producers who are not currently providing services due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. This move comes as the strikes approach day 140, with negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) set to resume later this week.
The suspension affects several studios including Feigco Entertainment, The Tannenbaum Co., Timberman/Beverly Productions, Groundswell Productions, and "Power" Universe star Joseph Sikora. Despite the suspension, Lionsgate plans to continue paying assistants and development executives under the suspended deals until October 1, with potential extensions if deemed necessary.
This decision by Lionsgate follows similar actions taken by other studios such as Disney, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. TV, and CBS Studios over the past few weeks. These suspensions predominantly impact non-writing executive producers.
Disney and CBS Studios have pledged to continue paying salaries for impacted assistants through the end of 2023. Development executives at Disney will also receive their salaries through the first week of October.
The first wave of suspensions began in early May, primarily affecting writers just days into the WGA strike. The industry has seen more rolling suspensions over the past couple of months as more producers concluded work on shows amidst an industry-wide production shutdown.
As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue into the fall, there is a glimmer of hope as negotiations between WGA and AMPTP are set to resume this Wednesday.
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