Hollywood Writers Strike Ends After Historic Agreement

The three-month Hollywood writers strike that halted production on numerous films and television shows has officially ended after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached a historic agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

The deal, which was approved by 98% of voting WGA members, addresses key concerns that prompted the strike, including compensation for streaming content, residual payments, and protections against the use of artificial intelligence in scriptwriting.

'This is a watershed moment for writers in the digital age,' said the WGA president in a statement. 'The agreement ensures that writers will receive fair compensation for their work regardless of how it's distributed, and establishes crucial guardrails around the use of AI in the creative process.'

Under the new three-year contract, writers will receive higher minimum payments for streaming shows, improved residuals based on viewership metrics, and guarantees that AI cannot be used to write or rewrite literary material, nor can it be used as source material.

Production is expected to resume on most affected shows within two weeks, though the concurrent SAG-AFTRA actors strike continues to impact the industry.

Analysts estimate the strike cost the California economy approximately $3 billion, but call the agreement a necessary evolution of entertainment industry labor practices in the streaming era.