The Screen Actors Guild announced Wednesday afternoon that the actors’ strike that has lasted over 100 days will end at 12:01 a.m. Thursday after a tentative agreement with studios was reached, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
While details around the specifics of the agreement have not yet been released, the negotiating team representing SAG-AFTRA unanimously voted to accept the most recent deal proposed by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which includes Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and NBCUniversal. The announcement came just minutes before the 5 p.m. deadline set by the AMPTP.
The strike began on July 14 when the previous agreement expired, and negotiations since then have been long and contentious, with negotiations breaking down on multiple occasions. Issues surrounding the use of AI to copy and supplement actors’ appearances without compensation and residuals for actors in the ever-growing streaming model have been at the forefront of the discussion for both those union members negotiating the deal and manning the picket lines.
SAG released a statement Monday saying that they had responded to the AMPTP’s “last, best and final offer,” but that there was still disagreement over “several essential items,” including the issue of AI. On Tuesday, the union reported that they had spent 10 hours continuing negotiations.
The tentative agreement means that the strike will end, though further negotiations are still possible. The deal needs to be reviewed by the union’s national board, and if not approved, would mean both sides would return to the table for further bargaining. As no official report has been provided about the provisions in the agreement, the entertainment industry may need to hold its breath a bit longer.