The full complement of studio executives from the major studios and streamers is expected to attend the negotiating session with SAG-AFTRA on Saturday, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The two sides will meet on Zoom on Saturday after the studios made their final offer to top union negotiators on Friday evening. Studio heads including Bob Iger of Disney, Donna Langley of NBCUniversal, Ted Sarandos of Netflix and David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery attended previous bargaining sessions with SAG-AFTRA this year, as well as with the Writers Guild of America before that union struck a deal in late September. – but Saturday’s group is expected to be more numerous.
The Hollywood Reporter contacted the AMPTP for comment.
It’s a serious sign as the SAG-AFTRA attack reaches its 114th day. As of Saturday, sources gave varying answers about when a deal could be struck, with some more optimistic than others that negotiations could be concluded quickly at this point. The SAG-AFTRA Negotiating Committee met Saturday morning to prepare for that day’s negotiating session.
The two parties have been back at the negotiating table since October 24 and have been meeting continuously. Iger, Langley, Sarandos and Zaslav were present at some of those meetings, but recently AMPTP President Carol Lombardini led the discussions on behalf of the studios. .
Just over a week ago, top executives from the same companies met with SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and union president Fran Drescher to, among other things, outline the stakes regarding their TV and film production schedules and how they will be achieved of a tipping point, including the 2024 summer movie calendar. Those on the call included Sony Pictures Chairman Tony Vinciquerra, Paramount CEO Brian Robbins and Mike Hopkins and Jennifer Salke of Amazon Studios.
Kim Masters contributed to this report.