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The studios told SAG-AFTRA on Saturday that they had made their “last, best and final” offer, as they sought to end the 114-day actors’ strike.
The offer includes an enhanced residual bonus for top performing streaming shows. Under the proposal, actors appearing in the most-watched shows on each platform will see their standard streaming credits double.
That’s an increase over the deal provided to the Writers Guild of America, which won a 50% residual bonus for writers on top-performing shows.
The package also includes comprehensive safeguards on artificial intelligence and at least the largest increase in 40 years.
The Zoom meeting included eight executives from seven studios: Disney’s Bob Iger, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, NBC Universal’s Donna Langley, Netflix’s Ted Sarendos, Paramount’s Brian Robbins, Amazon’s Mike Hopkins and Jane Salke. and Tony Vencira. Sony
At the meeting, Sarandos tried to drive home to union leaders that the offer was generous.
“We didn’t just come to you,” he told them, according to a source. “We come to you.”
The relatively brief meeting came a day after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers outlined the terms of its “comprehensive” offer to the union.
SAG-AFTRA leaders suggested Saturday that they would need more time to analyze and respond to the offer. Union leadership was expected to meet later Saturday, then advise studios on next steps.
On the studio side, some frustration and disappointment remained with SAG-AFTRA leadership, which they saw as unnecessarily dragging out negotiations.
However, the union has stressed that many of the issues on the table are “existential” for the actors.
In an email to members at 3pm on Saturday, the union advised that the studios had made their “last, best and final” offer.
“We are reviewing this and considering our response in the light of the key issues addressed in our proposals,” the union said. “As always, please do not believe any outside sources or rumors unless it comes from your union.”
By using the words “last, best and final” the studios are trying to convey that they won’t be making any further moves. In a normal negotiation, that language would indicate that the union’s only alternative is to strike. In this case, however, SAG-AFTRA has already been on strike since July 14th.
The two sides have been in constant talks for the past 12 days to try to end it.
The studios have made it clear that they want to end the strike as soon as possible. Given the time pressures of the production schedule, they have warned that without a deal in the near term they may have to cancel TV shows and delay further theatrical releases.
Artificial intelligence is one of the most difficult problems to solve. The union has intimated that it must have some safeguards against the creation of “digital doubles,” and it appears that the studios’ latest offer has yet to be fully received.
It is unclear whether a deal could be reached later this week.
Negotiators have spent much of the past week hammering out many fine points on the issue of AI, including the scope of consent required for the use of AI. This issue is of particular importance to background actors, many of whom fear that they will be the first to be replaced by digital versions of themselves.
Around the industry, there is widespread hope that the strike is in its final days – even if it has defied the highest expectations.
SAG-AFTRA reminded members in an email Saturday of the picketing schedule for the coming week, noting that there will be no picketing Friday due to Veterans Day. The union also advised members that they could pick up strike buttons assembled on each studio lot.
This story has been updated with details of the meeting.
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