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Remember the writer's strike that stalled Hollywood for a whole summer and then some? Yeah, well, apparently those demands didn't pan out the way writers, and everyone really, had hoped. After hearing from a screenwriter who had seen scripts closely resembling iconic films like The Godfather, writer and programmer Alex Reisner got to digging through a massive data set used to train AI, which he saw in papers about various large language models (LLMs). In a recent article for The Atlantic, Reisner exposed the AI data set to have been trained by more than 53,000 movie scripts and 85,000 TV episode scripts, including scripts from The Simpsons, Twin Peaks, The Sopranos, and Breaking Bad.

Reisner reported that the AI-training data set, used by companies like Apple, Anthropic, Meta, Nvidia, Salesforce, Bloomberg, and others, includes writing from all Best Picture-nominated films from 1950 to 2016. Not only does it include scripts of every episode of shows like The Wire,...

“What are we doing, moving around furniture on the Titanic?,” SAG-AFTRA leader and former star of The Nanny Fran Drescher asked a packed conference room of reporters on July 13, 2023. Her union of 160,000 performers had just announced it was going on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It was joining the Writers Guild of America, whose 11,500 members were already engaged in their own work stoppage, in the first double strike by the two unions since 1960. “The jig is up, AMPTP,” she added. “We stand tall. You have to wake up and smell the coffee.”

A little over a year later, Hollywood is still feeling a little bit like the Titanic. During the strike, as creatives contended that they were increasingly being devalued in the streaming era, employment of L.A. entertainment workers reportedly dropped 17 percent. Then, as workers emerged from the labor battle with sapped savings accounts,...

Exclusive: Wattpad/Webtoons has hired Josh Campbell & Matt Stuecken to adapt I’m the Grim Reaper from the webtoon created by Grave Weaver.

Sam Raimi and Zainab Azizi will executive produce the series with Weaver, who’ll also team on the development process.

I’m the Grim Reaper centers on Scarlet, a young woman who wakes up in the ninth circle of hell with no idea how she got there. Satan offers to send Scarlet back to Earth if she’ll work as his reaper. But it doesn’t take long for Scarlet to realize that Satan’s offer is even worse than she feared. The story slots perfectly into Raimi’s wheelhouse, striking a deft balance between scares, gore and humor.

Campbell & Stuecken sold their procedural The Interpreter to NBC last season, with Michael Peterson showrunning and Morris Chestnut attached to star. This season, they...

The Teen Titans show is one of the most iconic animated offerings from DC. It is in the same league as the studio’s other animated shows such as Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League. Animator Glen Murakami, who also worked on the aforementioned shows, worked on Teen Titans as a showrunner and brought the comic book team to the forefront.

While the Teen Titans began in the ‘60s, the comic book did not gain fame until its ‘80s revival in the form of Marv Wolfman and George Pérez’s The New Teen Titans, by which the show was inspired. Murakami revealed in an interview that DC wanted a do-over from the comics in the show as they were primarily a response to Marvel’s X-Men.

Glen Murakami Revealed Why He Chose To Make Teen Titans More Kid Friendly A still from Teen Titans

Though DC’s animated shows were primarily targeted towards children,...

Going out of the box is probably one of the best and yet, one of the rarest strategies that filmmakers and showmakers use. However, that wasn’t the case with Teen Titans which made the show very popular, especially among kids.

A still from Teen Titans

With its premiere on July 19, 2003, Teen Titans entered into the world of cartoons with a bang. The show premiered on Cartoon Network channel with its first two seasons also available on Kids’ WB. It immediately became a popular show with its funny and interesting characters. Major credit behind its success surely goes to its creator and developer, Glen Murakami.

In fact, due to a big step taken by Murakami regarding the show, the entire world saw and recognized a few characters of the show who were earlier mildly known.

Two Superheroes Were Sidelined to Make Room for Lesser-Known Characters in Teen Titans

Robin in...

The animated TV series Teen Titans, based on the eponymous DC Comics superhero team, premiered in July 2013 released to generally positive reviews from both critics and audiences. Over the years, it gained a significant fan following for its unique storytelling, character development, and blend of action, humor, and drama.

A still from Teen Titans

Teen Titans was different from other superhero shows in many ways, but the one that stood out the most was probably the fact that the show was not made with the usually popular characters in focus. Besides, it featured a character with no superpowers as the leader of a superhero show. As contradictory as it is, the show creator Glen Murakami explained his reasons for doing this.

Teen Titan Showrunner Glen Murakami on Why Robin Was Made the Leader

A still from Teen Titans featuring Robin

Animated superhero shows are a huge part of entertainment even today.

The Teen Titans are a well-known group of superheroes, and as the title suggests, they are comprised entirely of teenagers. The team has been around since the silver age of comics, but the 2003 animated show introduced these vibrant characters to the majority of fans.

It quickly became a beloved cartoon series, and despite aiming for children as the target audience, it struck a chord with adults too. The show has been hailed for its creativity and ability to tackle storylines in a thought-provoking manner. However, Glen Murakami, the creator of the series, believes its secret weapon was in a special anime style.

The animated show from DC remains one of the most beloved cartoons ever (Source: Teen Titans)

What was the show Teen Titans about?

The show revolves around a team of adolescent superheroes. It was created by Glen Murakami, David Slack, and Sam Register. The show ran for five seasons,...

The animated show Teen Titans was a classic that introduced a whole new generation to the eponymous group of superheroes from DC Comics. Created by Glen Murakami, the show aired from 2003 to 2009, spanning five seasons and multiple spinoffs and movies. The show has been regarded as a classic among other DC animated media such as Batman: The Animated Series.

The show was known for its treatment of Robin as a solo hero rather than a sidekick to Batman, its anime-inspired tone, and its mature treatment of the characters. One of the major changes that Murakami made with the show was to not give any secret identities to the superheroes as he wanted children to identify with their characteristics rather than their identities.

Why Didn’t The Teen Titans Have Any Secret Identities? A still from Teen Titans

While hardcore DC fans were aware of the Teen Titans, the characters only...

Most of the buzzed-about network dramas of the 1990s have been largely forgotten these days.

ER and NYPD Blue might have been the talk of the town during the Clinton years, but in the Biden age, they're seldom discussed outside of retrospectives about what the cast members are up to these days.

Interestingly, the network shows from that era that have loomed largest in the public's memory are the ones that might broadly be described as "supernatural mysteries."

We're talking about Twin Peaks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and, of course, The X-Files.

In fact, one could argue that no network drama from the past 30 years has proved as enduring and influential as the saga of Mulder and Scully.

The X-Files ran for nine seasons and inspired two feature films, a spinoff series (The Lone Gunmen), and a 2016 revival, with a second reboot rumored to be in the works courtesy of Black Panther director Ryan Coogler.

Fox is developing a one-hour drama titled “Borrowed Time,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The series hails from writers and executive producers David Slack, Josh Campbell, and Matt Stuecken. McG is also an executive producer along with Mary Viola and Corey Marsh via Wonderland Sound and Vision. Wonderland is currently under a non-exclusive broadcast direct development deal with Fox.

The official logline for “Borrowed Time” states: “Neuroscientist Mimi Peters is working to extract memories from the human brain. Her technology is too dangerous to test on the living. But after she proves she can peer into the minds of the dead, FBI Agent Casey Harden comes calling. Together, they form an uneasy partnership using her technology to solve his cases.”

The project marks a return to Fox for Slack, who previously co-created the Fox procedural “Apb.” Slack’s other credits include “Law & Order,” “Magnum P.I.,” and “Person of Interest.” Campbell and...

After the longest actor’s strike in Hollywood’s history came to a close this week, SAG-AFTRA released details of its billion-dollar deal with Hollywood studios — revealing protections against the use of artificial intelligence on actors’ performances that will impact the industry for decades.

The SAG-AFTRA national board voted Friday to accept the tentative agreement with 86 percent approval. The deal will next head to the union’s 160,000 members in the coming weeks to ratify the agreement.

Following the board meeting, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland discussed...

The Writers Guild of America’s announcement that it has reached a potentially strike-ending deal with Hollywood studios was met with cheers by entertainment union members, including the union that it shared picket lines with for months, SAG-AFTRA.

“SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines,” the actors’ guild said in a statement.

A more barbed statement came from Lindsay Dougherty, Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 399, who praised the WGA for their resilience while swiping at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios in labor talks.

“The militancy of the writers holding the line and hitting the pavement exemplified their unwavering commitment to their core issues,” Dougherty wrote “Their fight has also inspired a renewed solidarity among Hollywood workers that will live long past this bargaining cycle.”

“Solidarity,...

The ongoing talks between the WGA and the AMPTP continued to look promising through the weekend, but the writers couldn’t help but have fun with the studios’ claim that they made their “best and final offer.”

After the statement was made late Saturday before talks continued today, union members took to X to have a little fun with the AMPTP’s choice of words.

It inspired Mike Flanagan and a few others to come up with possible movie titles, should Hollywood ever decide to chronicle this hot mess of a negotiation. “Best Final Offer. 2 Best Final. Best Final Offer: 3D. Off4: The Best & The Final. Bfo 5: The Finalest Offer,” he wrote.

Eden Danger followed with a few of her own: “Offer Final Offer Best & Final Offer Last & Final Offer Smart & Final Offer Final Offer Tokyo Drift.” And so did George Samir Nader: “B&f: The Motion...

What a roller coaster day for Dancing With the Stars.

Thursday kicked off with news that ABC executives were considering delaying the Sept. 26 start of the new season after striking writers started picketing the production in recent days. Then came word that Veep actor Matt Walsh, one of the stars set to compete on season 32, decided to “pause” his involvement with the show “until an agreement is made with the [Writers Guild of America].” He elaborated on that decision by posting on Instagram, “I was excited to join the show and did so under the impression that it was not a WGA show and fell under a different agreement. This morning when I was informed by my union, the WGA, that it is considered struck work I walked out of my rehearsal.”

Hours later, SAG-AFTRA issued a statement clarifying that its members who are working on Dancing With the Stars — actors like Oscar winner Mira Sorvino,...

“Dancing with the Stars” recently announced the cast for its upcoming 32nd season, which is scheduled to premiere on Tuesday night, September 26. But despite being a reality competition show focused on amateur dancers’ skills, it employs a WGA writer and is therefore one of the struck productions according to the WGA strike rules. The guild is actively picketing the show’s rehearsal space, and contestant Matt Walsh, a member of both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, has already dropped out.

WGA board member David Slack tweeted, “Its writers are on strike, and they can’t make the show without scab writing.” Addressing the cast of the show directly he added, “I know you’re all under contract and this is a tough situation. But if Drew Barrymore can step up and do the right thing alone, I hope you can do this together in solidarity.”

SEEEverything to know about ‘Dancing with...

The “Dancing With the Stars” premiere will more than likely be delayed next week, as talent has begun dropping out of the show amid rising pressures during the WGA strike.

“Veep” actor Matt Walsh, who is part of the Season 32 cast, is “taking a pause” from the ABC dance competition show until an agreement is made with the WGA. Walsh is a member of WGA, SAG-AFTRA and the DGA.

ABC confirmed to Variety that the network is putting plans in place to postpone the “Dancing With the Stars” premiere.

“I am taking a pause from ‘Dancing with the Stars’ until an agreement is made with the WGA,” Walsh told Variety in a statement. “I was excited to join the show and did so under the impression that it was not a WGA show and fell under a different agreement. This morning when I was informed by my union, the WGA,...

WGA union members are picketing Dancing with the Stars, asking the show to respect the ongoing strike and halt production. The show is in compliance with SAG-AFTRA strike rules, but WGA members argue that it still encourages the studio to prolong the strike. Former DWTS pro Cheryl Burke agrees with WGA members and emphasizes the importance of solidarity to bring about significant change.

ABC's Dancing with the Stars is the latest series to face the WGA's wrath. The 32nd season of the dance competition is set to premiere next week, but Writers Guild of America union members are asking that the show respect the ongoing strike and abandon production. Through signs, picketers are calling out some of this season's celebrity cast, including How I Met Your Mother's Alyson Hannigan, Sound of Freedom's Mira Sorvino, and Veep's Matt Walsh (also a WGA member), encouraging them to back out of the dancing competition.

There was more trouble for Dancing with the Stars after it faced its second picket line of the day.

The ABC series was targeted this morning by a group of around 30 writers at a location on N Highland in Hollywood.

But the WGA members took to a second location – the 3rd Street Dance Studio near the Beverly Center – after it emerged that stars including Veep’s Matt Walsh, a member of the WGA, were spotted there.

Walsh was spotted leaving the facility with a member of the show. There’s now talk of a third picket line of the day as the writers mobilize to other locations.

The picket movement comes as writers are hoping to pressure the BBC Studios-produced show ahead of its premiere on Tuesday into either reversing course or forcing the stars, which also include Alyson Hannigan, Doctor Strange’s Xochitl Gomez, The Brady Bunch’s Barry Williams,...

The writers are waltzing after Dancing with the Stars after all.

The ABC show has become the latest to be picketed by striking writers, with a group of around 25 picketers in West Hollywood protesting Wednesday outside of the production’s rehearsal as of 8 a.m. More are expected later today.

The move is designed to put pressure on the BBC Studios-produced show ahead of its season premiere Tuesday. Writers are hoping that by picketing, either the network decides to reverse its decision to air it or some of the stars to drop out.

The writers are targeting these stars in particular with signs with their names on them. They are also being louder than usual so that people can hear them...

Amid objections from members of the Writers Guild of America over the last few days, “Dancing With the Stars” producers are sticking by the decision to return for another season on Tuesday, Sept. 26. But while people connected to the show say it will be in compliance with rules of the Writers and Actors strike, the WGA considers “DWTS” struck work and has indicated it may picket the show.

“The Guild has, and will continue to, picket struck shows that are in production during the strike,” read a WGA statement provided to TheWrap. It is of course a reiteration of previous guild comments about TV productions that have continued making new episodes since the strike began May 2.

At issue here is that “Dancing With the Stars” is contracted with the guild. An individual with knowledge of the show told TheWrap that there is usually one WGA writer on staff among more than 500 employees total.

Amid calls from the Writers Guild of America to push back its premiere during the ongoing writers strike, ABC and Disney+ are staying on track with plans to premiere a new season of “Dancing With the Stars” next week, Variety has learned.

“Dancing With the Stars” employs a crew of 500 people, and has one WGA writer on staff.

Sources close to production tell Variety that the show will be working in compliance with SAG-AFTRA rules, and a key focus is not to put talent in a tough spot, given that many Season 32 cast members are part of the actors’ guild. Another major key consideration was ensuring that the large staff would not be out of work, insiders added. ABC declined to comment.

“Everyone’s focus is to keep 500 people employed,” a production source tells Variety. This individual says that the WGA writer will be back at work as soon as...

After Drew Barrymore, Bill Maher, Jennifer Hudson and The Talk reversed course on premiering their talk shows, some WGA members are now focusing on Dancing with the Stars and questioning why the dance competition is moving forward with its Sept. 26 return to ABC.

Picketing writers like David Slack have used X to remind fellow union members that DWTS is a WGA show, though most of the banter is improvised based on what just happened on the dance floor. A source close to production tells Deadline that only one WGA writer typically works on the show that otherwise employs 500 people. Even then, the source said, the writer produces talking points for host Alfonso Ribeiro.

DWTS also aired during the 2007-08 writers strike, and was not picketed.

That didn’t stop Slack from writing on X that “by appearing on a WGA-covered show using scab writing, anyone appearing on Dancing With the Stars...

Several talk shows are planning their returns despite the ongoing SAG-AFTRA/WGA strikes.

On Wednesday, Bill Maher announced that his HBO political talk show, “Real Time With Bill Maher”, will return to the air, but without writers amid the ongoing WGA strike, now in its fifth month. Citing the need “to bring people back to work” in a statement published to social media, Maher argued that the writers on strike are “not the only people with issues.”

“Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing. It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns,” Maher wrote. “Despite some assistance from me, much of the staff is struggling mightily. We all were hopeful...

On the heels of a similar demonstration targeting The Drew Barrymore Show in New York on Monday, dozens of Writers Guild members turned up to picket a rehearsal show for The Talk on Wednesday morning in Studio City.

Around 50 WGA members set up near Radford Studio Center’s Radford Avenue gate, talking to audience members who had shown up, handing them leaflets that railed against the entertainment industry’s “unsustainable” business model, and WGA-emblazoned buttons. According to Writers Guild captains on site, the group had turned away two potential audience members by informing them that they would be crossing a picket line to enter the show.

“The reality is that bringing a show back without your writers is an attempt to devalue our labor and devalue the work that we do,” argued WGA captain Chris Hazzard. “And there’s no way to make a show without writing. So whether that...

The writers of MTV’s unscripted series “Ridiculousness” voted unanimously to unionize, a rep from the National Labor Relations Board told TheWrap on Tuesday.

The MTV staple, which also has a number of spinoffs and foreign versions that air around the world, is hosted and produced by Rob Dyrdek, whose Superjacket Productions recently rebranded as Thrill One Media.

The vote, which took place on Monday by secret ballot, ended with eight votes in favor of union representation and zero against. There were two challenged ballots, which won’t be counted, because they aren’t determinative, the Nlrb said.

The parties have five business days to file objections. If no objections are filed, the results will be certified and the employer must bargain in good faith with the union.

Striking scripted writer David Slack, who was an executive producer on “MacGyver” and co-executive producer on “Person on Interest,” tweeted, “Writers of Ridiculousness: Welcome to the WGA!

Folks online are calling out Drew Barrymore and slamming her over the decision to start production back up for her daytime talk show “The Drew Barrymore Show” despite the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes.

“Drew Barrymore’s writers are outside the studio picketing while she continues without them, she’s ‘writing’ the show (most likely with some help) so effectively scabbing, and anyone with a WGA pin or shirt is being removed from the audience? This is villain s–t,” journalist and TV writer Alex Zaragoza.

Drew Barrymore's writers are outside the studio picketing while she continues without them, she's "writing" the show (most likely with some help) so effectively scabbing, and anyone with a WGA pin or shirt is being removed from the audience? This is villain shit.

— alex zaragoza (@byalexzaragoza) September 11, 2023

Their words came after Barrymore announced her show would start production back up.

“I made a choice...

Drew Barrymore’s decision to resume taping her talk show on Monday has kicked off a fight over whether she is violating the rules, or at least the spirit, of the Writers Guild of America strike.

On Sunday, WGA East said that the show is “struck” and that any writing on the show would be against the rules. But SAG-AFTRA, which is also on strike, issued its own statement on Monday defending Barrymore.

“The Drew Barrymore Show is produced under the Network Television Code, which is a separate contract and is not struck,” a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said. “It is permissible work and Drew’s role as host does not violate the current strike rules.”

Several other daytime talk shows have already been in production during the strike, including “The View” and “Live with Kelly and Mark.” “The View” employs two WGA writers, but it has been making shows without them since May.

Drew Barrymore is being criticized by fellow actors and writers on social media for her decision to bring back her eponymous daytime talk show amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. “The Drew Barrymore Show” is set to return Sept. 18.

While Barrymore is not violating SAG-AFTRA rules as the host of the show, her show does employ WGA writers. This means new episodes of “The Drew Barrymore Show” will have to utilize either violating WGA members, non-wga writers or no one. A spokesperson for CBS Media Ventures told Variety the show will “not be performing any writing work covered by the WGA strike.”

“Drew Barrymore has always been someone who recognized her privilege and aimed to evolve, so I hope she will reconsider this hasty decision intended to pay her crew because it weakens both unions to openly endorse scabbing,” TV writer Gennefer Gross posted.

TV personality Felicia Day added, “Sooo...

One picketer said it best: “The longer this strike goes, the more detailed these signs get.”

Judging by some of those Simpsons-themed placards, he’s not wrong. But there have also been lots of not-so-veiled references to some of the ongoing strike coverage. (Don’t recognize the reference to Carol Lombardini and The Cheesecake Factory? Read this story. Can’t remember the exact quote about putting people out of their homes? That notorious line originated here.)

Some of the signs also just show signs of fatigue. “I’m gonna be honest I’m running out of clever sign memes,” said one. “Cause, like, seriously?”

It’s now day 120 of the WGA strike and Day 47 of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Here’s what some picketers have to say these days about walking the line.

120 pic.twitter.com/ZqrnJcR8Wg

— Mike Royce (@MikeRoyce) August 29, 2023

Bad logistics as I attended the kid-friendly picket...

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Writers widely condemned the decision by Hollywood’s studios to go public with a recent contract proposal to their union, whose members have been on the picket lines for nearly four months.

Writers who spoke to TheWrap Wednesday expressed doubts about whether negotiations will be able to continue in good faith.

Late Tuesday night, after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers publicly released a six-page document outlining the proposal it sent to the Writers Guild of America’s negotiating committee on Aug. 11, the guild released a memo to members with its own account of the meeting that happened just prior to that publication with several top studio heads, including Disney’s Bob Iger, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Universal’s Donna Langley and Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav.

Following a meeting with leaders of the Writers Guild of America, Hollywood CEOs released the details on Tuesday of their most recent proposal, offering concessions around writers room minimums, AI and viewership data. But the WGA leadership immediately responded with a scathing rejection of the proposal.

“Our priority is to end the strike so that valued members of the creative community can return to what they do best and to end the hardships that so many people and businesses that service the industry are experiencing,” said Carol Lombardini, President of the AMPTP, in a statement.

The WGA responded: “This wasn’t a meeting to make a deal. This was a meeting to get us to cave, which is why, not 20 minutes after we left the meeting, the AMPTP released its summary of their proposals.”

The response and counter-response dashes hopes that the quiet over the past week, while talks went on,...

“The. Fucking. Nanny.” That’s how Writers Guild of America West board member Liz Alper effectively summed up how members of the striking union felt about SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher’s impassioned comments Thursday afternoon when the guild formally announced plans to strike after contract talks with the studios and streamers broke down after four weeks of negotiations.

SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who joined Drescher at the podium at SAG’s Miracle Mile headquarters, said the national board “unanimously voted to issue a strike order” Thursday morning. The 160,000-member performers union will join the 11,000-plus members of the WGA on the picket lines starting Friday, marking the first dual strike in Hollywood in more than six decades.

“They’ve recognized, as writers have, that the studios have broken the business and are calling the studios to account,” one showrunner told The Hollywood Reporter following the SAG-AFTRA news conference.

Hollywood studios are playing serious hardball, and writers are furious.

With a strike by the Screen Actors Guild looming, Deadline published an article on Tuesday giving insight into approach of the studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, toward the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.

Read More: Hollywood Actors Agree To Federal Mediation, But Refuse To Move Deadline As Strike Appears Unavoidable

According to unnamed studio execs and insiders, the studios have been planning to drag out the strike for as long as possible in an effort to grind down guild members fighting for better residual payments, the end of mini writers rooms on TV shows, and protections against artificial intelligence tools.

“It’s been agreed to for months, even before the WGA went out,” one executive told Deadline. “Nobody wanted a strike, but everybody knew this was make or break.”

Another exec said that...

Top Hollywood writers took to social media to express defiant support for their first union walkout in 15 years and showed their feelings about studios being unwilling to meet their contract demands.

The Writers Guild of America announced the work stoppage will begin Tuesday afternoon. The union also released a list of claimed responses from the studios to their proposals, which helped fire up members.

“The Shield put FX on the map,” wrote FX’s Snowfall writer-producer Sal Calleros. “Mad Men put AMC on the map. House of Cards put Netflix on the map. Writers did that. Not some CEO. Know what you get when you put CEOs in creative lanes? You get Quibi.”

“They shut down an entire industry rather than part with less than 3% of their record profits,” wrote Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost).

“Looks like it’s time to cancel my streaming services,” wrote David Simon (The Wire). “Ask the...

The WGA West is calling on Hollywood to consider not shooting films and TV shows in states that ban abortions. The move comes in the wake of a leaked draft opinion by a 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade and let states decide whether to ban abortions.

“In light of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion rights, we want to reaffirm our Guild’s commitment to fighting on our members’ behalf against inequality and discrimination,” the guild’s board of directors said in a statement. “Women’s rights are human rights, and any laws that ban or limit a woman’s right to choose are dangerous and set a precedent for further erosion of our collective civil rights. We call on our employers to consider the laws of each state when choosing production locations to ensure that our members will never be...

After another politically and socially turbulent year, the Writers Guild of America is ready to celebrate the best that its members have to offer, while reflecting on the ever-changing social and entertainment landscape.

The WGA’s annual awards event, a joint venture between Wgaw and Wgawe, will be held on Sunday, March 20th, and similar to last year, will be handled as a virtual event. With Covid still firmly lingering in the space of the populace, the guild’s priorities have naturally shifted in ways that couldn’t have been anticipated, while still staying true to its collective core values.

This year’s WGA film award nominees represent a roster of high-caliber talent. Nominees in the Original Screenplay category Aaron Sorkin (“Being the Ricardos”), Adam McKay & David Sirota (“Don’t Look Up”), Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola & Hugo Guinness & Jason Schwartzman, Zach Baylin (“King Richard”), and Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”). Adapted...

More than 50 prominent showrunners, including J.J. Abrams, Shonda Rhimes and Mike Schur, have signed the WGA West’s Safe and Inclusive Workplace Pledge, committing to “partner with the guild in developing best practices proven to drive change, alongside support programs for the wider show-running community that ensure every leader has the tools and understanding necessary to create workplaces in which all members can thrive.”

The guild’s Showrunner Initiative Committee said in a message to the guild’s members, “As a writer community, we can help create a new culture, one in which abuse and discrimination cannot thrive.”

The pledge states: “As union members, mistreatment of one of us is a problem for all of us. For the last four years, there has been an evolving conversation about addressing sexism, racism, discrimination, and bullying in our industry. As showrunners, we believe this behavior should not be tolerated. And while the...

Exclusive: NBCUniversal has taken in for development The Task Lyst, a drama project based on the novel “Task Lyst” by Scott Hylbert. It hails from writer David Slack (In Plain Sight), Josh Berman’s Osprey Prods. and Sony Pictures Television where the company is based.

The project was pitched to NBC as part of the current broadcast development cycle. NBCUniversal last year consolidated entertainment content for its linear networks and streamer Peacock under Susan Rovner, creating more opportunities for shows to travel, like Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, which was developed and piloted by NBC before it was picked up to series by Peacock. As a result, while projects will continue to be developed with an NBCU outlet in mind (The Task Lyst is earmarked for NBC), a final determination on their destination would be made at the time of a green light.

Here is a description of The Task Lyst,...

Demi Lovato is returning to scripted television in a food issues comedy that is in the works at NBC.

Lovato, who got her break in the Disney Channel’s Camp Rock franchise and starred in Sonny with a Chance, is to star in and exec produce Hungry, which has received a put pilot commitment from NBC.

The single-camera comedy is being written and exec produced by Will & Grace writer and Hot In Cleveland creator Suzanne Martin. It comes from Hazy Mills and Sb Projects in association with Universal Television.

Hungry follows a group of friends who belong to a food issues group help each other as they look for love, success and the perfect thing in the fridge that’s going to make it all better.

Lovato, herself, appeared in a guest role in the final season of Will & Grace, her first role since guest starring on Glee in 2013. The singer,...

Exclusive: NBC, the network of Will & Grace, is developing Des & Lou. The light procedural, described as Mission Impossible meets Will & Grace, hails from Hazy Mills, the company of Will & Grace star Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner, and Universal TV where Hazy Mills is based.

In Des & Lou, written by David Slack (In Plain Sight), a charming Spanish spy working for Interpol and a cynical American agent from the CIA form a joint task force to stop the plans of a dangerous organization. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Slack executive produces with Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner via Hazy Mills and Jason Egenberg through his Tiny Riot.

Slack previously created the Fox drama series A.P.B. and served as executive producer on CBS’ MacGyver. His series credits also include CBS’ Person of Interest, Fox’s Lie To Me, NBC’s Law & Order and USA’s In Plain Sight.

The Writers Guild of America West announced on Monday the results of its 2020 Board of Directors Election, with seven of the race’s eight incumbents being re-elected.

The 2020 Board members are Betsy Thomas, Deric A. Hughes, Ashley Gable, Patti Carr, David Slack, Travis Donnelly, Patric M. Verrone, and newcomer Eric Haywood.

A total of 2,204 votes were cast, with Thomas leading the votes with 1,583. The remaining votes were as follows: Deric A. Hughes, Ashley Gable, Patti Carr, David Slack, Eric Haywood, Travis Donnelly, Patric M. Verrone, Katherine Beattie (754), Daniel Kunka (753), Rob Forman (655), Andrew Ti (558), John Lopez (493), Leland Jay Anderson (303).

“A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all the candidates that ran this year,” said WGA West President David A. Goodman. “The work of the Board continues, and we’re fortunate that we have so many members ready to step forward and give their free time to help protect and advance the interests of all our members.

Former Writers Guild of America West president Patric Verrone and negotiating committee co-chair Betsy Thomas have won re-election to WGA West board seats.

Incumbents Deric A. Hughes, Ashley Gable, Patti Carr, David Slack and Travis Donnelly also won re-election along with “Empire” and “Power” co-executive producer Eric Haywood. Other candidates were Katherine Beattie, Daniel Kunka, Rob Forman, Andrew Ti, John Lopez and Leland Jay Anderson.

A total of 2,204 valid ballots were cast, reflecting the usual turnout of about 25% of eligible members. The ballot count was announced Monday and supervised by Votenet Solutions.

“A heartfelt thank you to all the candidates that ran this year,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman. “The work of the board continues, and we’re fortunate that we have so many members ready to step forward and give their free time to help protect and advance the interests of all our members.”

The seats are for two-year terms.

Writers Guild of America West has announced the results of its 2020 Board of Directors election, with eight members elected for two-year terms.

Of the eight, only one – Eric Haywood – is a non-incumbent.

The elected members include Haywood, Betsy Thomas, Deric A. Hughes, Ashley Gable, Patti Carr, David Slack, Travis Donnelly and Patric M. Verrone.

“A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all the candidates that ran this year,” said Wgaw President David A. Goodman. “The work of the Board continues, and we’re fortunate that we have so many members ready to step forward and give their free time to help protect and advance the interests of all our members.”

The numerical voting results are: Betsy Thomas, Deric A. Hughes, Ashley Gable, Patti Carr, David Slack, Eric Haywood, Travis Donnelly, Patric M. Verrone, Katherine Beattie (754), Daniel Kunka (753), Rob Forman (655), Andrew Ti (558), John Lopez (493), Leland Jay Anderson (303).

A total of 2,204 valid ballots were cast.

Amid a standoff with two major talent agencies, the Writers Guild of America West unveiled the results of its annual election for its leadership on Monday.

Candidates that have been elected to two-year terms to the guild’s board of directors include Betsy Thomas, Deric A. Hughes, Ashley Gable, Patti Carr, David Slack, Eric Haywood, Travis Donnelly and Patric M. Verrone. The union disclosed that 2,204 ballots were cast.

“A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all the candidates that ran this year,” stated Wgaw President David A. Goodman. “The work of the Board continues, and we’re fortunate that we ...

Amid a standoff with two major talent agencies, the Writers Guild of America West unveiled the results of its annual election for its leadership on Monday.

Candidates that have been elected to two-year terms to the guild’s board of directors include Betsy Thomas, Deric A. Hughes, Ashley Gable, Patti Carr, David Slack, Eric Haywood, Travis Donnelly and Patric M. Verrone. The union disclosed that 2,204 ballots were cast.

“A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all the candidates that ran this year,” stated Wgaw President David A. Goodman. “The work of the Board continues, and we’re fortunate that we ...

The WGA West board of directors sent a letter to its members today that updates writers on the union’s latest efforts in the wake of its new film and TV contract. Read it in full below.

The missive comes less than a week after WGA members voted overwhelmingly to ratify with the new film and TV deal worked out with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Sent under the header, “How Agency Information Sharing Is Paying Off,” the letter notes that “a key objective of our agency campaign is timely information from the agencies to assist Mba enforcement of late pay and free work violations, and enhance the Guild’s analysis of compensation and other employment trends.”

Here is the letter in full:

Dear Members,

A key objective of our agency campaign is timely information from the agencies to assist Mba enforcement of late pay and free work violations,...

Sixteen candidates are vying for eight open seats on the WGA West’s board of directors. The seven incumbents seeking reelection are Patti Carr, Ashley Gable, Betsy Thomas, David Slack, Patric M. Verrone, Travis Donnelly and Deric A. Hughes.

The nine other candidates are Adam Starks, John Lopez, Rob Forman, Scott Rosenbaum, Andrew Ti, Katherine Beattie, Daniel Kunka, Leland Jay Anderson and Eric Haywood.

Ballots will go out August 31 and must be returned by September 21. The guild will host a virtual Candidates Night forum, where members can pose questions to the candidates, on September 2.

Writers Guild of America leaders have endorsed the union’s tentative deal negotiated this week with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. In an email message this morning (read it below), union leaders said that “both the Wgaw Board and Wgae Council voted unanimously to recommend the contract.”

Earlier this week, the WGA and the AMPTP secured a tentative three-year deal that bring labor stability to an industry hobbled by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. In a marathon bargaining session that stretched into the early hours Wednesday, negotiators secured an agreement to take to the guild’s membership for ratification.

In today’s email, the leadership said that, upon certification by the WGA’s chief negotiator of the final contract language, the guilds will conduct a ratification vote among eligible members later this month.

“As soon as the confirmed draft is in place,” wrote the Wgaw Board of Directors,...

Former Writers Guild of America West president Patric Verrone and negotiating committee co-chair Betsy Thomas are among the 15 candidates for eight WGA West board seats.

The guild’s nominating committee made the announcement Friday. The election will take place on Sept. 21.

The seats are for two-year terms. The president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, and eight other board seats will be up for election next year.

Verrone, best known for leading the bitter 2007-08 strike while president, is an incumbent on the board. Thomas, who is also an incumbent and has credits on “My Boys” and “Whitney,” was named co-chair of the negotiating committee with Michele Mulroney and Shawn Ryan late last year.

The WGA launched negotiations on May 18 on a successor master contract for film and TV with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The current three-year contract expires on June 30. The WGA has announced that it’s seeking gains in streaming residuals,...

The WGA West’s nominating committee has selected 18 candidates to vie for eight open seats in the guild’s upcoming board of directors election.

Seven of the candidates are incumbents: Patti Carr, Ashley Gable, Betsy Thomas, David Slack, Patric M. Verrone, Travis Donnelly and Deric A. Hughes. The other candidates selected by the nominating committee are Adam Starks, J. David Shanks, John Lopez, Carlos Foglia, Rob Forman, Scott Rosenbaum, Andrew Ti, Katherine Beattie, Daniel Kunka, Leland Jay Anderson and Eric Haywood.

Eligible members also can run for the board by petition by obtaining 15 member signatures in support of their candidacies. The deadline for submitting signed petitions is July 23. Guild members will receive voting materials, including links to candidate, non-candidate and rebuttal statements, on August 31. The voting period concludes on September 21.