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The 118-day work stoppage will end officially just after midnight, the SAG-AFTRA union said in a statement after its negotiating committee voted unanimously to support the deal. "We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers," the union said. George Clooney and other A-list stars voiced solidarity with lower-level actors and had urged union leadership to reach a resolution. While WGA members returned to writing scripts in late September, the ongoing SAG-AFTRA work stoppage left many productions dark. It also led movie studios to delay big releases such as "Dune: Part 2" because striking actors could not promote them.

Persons: Jim Kulick, Mario Anzuoni, Fran Drescher, Walt Disney, I'm, Fanny Grande, It's, Jessica Payne, Rati Gupta, Anu, George Clooney, Lisa Richwine, Stephen Coates Organizations: SAG, Paramount Studios, REUTERS, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt, Netflix, Hollywood, CBS, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Milken, United Auto Workers, Detroit carmakers, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, New York, Los Angeles, Los Angeles and New York, California

Almost 9 million subscribers joined Netflix around the globe in the third quarter, surpassing Wall Street analysts' forecast for 6 million, according to LSEG. The strong performance showed Netflix was thriving despite Hollywood labor tensions that shut down a large swath of U.S. production. Netflix increased the U.S. price of its premium ad-free plan by $3 per month to $22.99. Substantial subscriber gains came in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where Netflix added nearly 4 million subscribers. Netflix programming accounted for 8% of television screen time, second only to YouTube, the company said, citing Nielsen data.

Persons: Ted Sarandos, Sarandos, Paolo Pescatore, Mike Blake, Prince Harry's, Meghan Markle, Lisa Richwine, Aurora Ellis, Bill Berkrot, Leslie Adler Organizations: Netflix, Wall Street, Comcast, Brothers, Investors, REUTERS, USA, YouTube, Nielsen, Thomson Locations: United States, Britain, France, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Europe, East, Africa

[1/2] The Netflix logo is shown on one of their Hollywood buildings in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 12, 2023. The company picked up nearly 9 million new customers around the globe, surpassing the 6 million consensus forecast of Wall Street analysts surveyed by LSEG. The one-stream basic plan rose by $2 per month. GLOBAL PRICE HIKESIn Britain, Netflix increased the basic plan price by 1 pound to 7.99 pounds. Netflix projected fourth quarter revenue of $8.69 billion fell slightly below the $8.77 billion forecast of analysts polled by LSEG.

Persons: Mike Blake, Walt Disney, Paolo Pescatore, Lisa Richwine, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, Netflix, Street, LSEG, Investors, Warner Bros Discovery, LSEG . Media, YouTube, Nielsen, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, United States, Britain, France, Hollywood

The iconic Hollywood sign is pictured the day after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced it reached a preliminary labor agreement with major studios in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 25, 2023. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) leadership voted unanimously to end the strike on Wednesday, the guild said in a statement. In other areas, the guild said it won guarantees of minimum staffing in writers’ rooms, a key issue for many of its members. Maher and Drew Barrymore had angered writers by saying this month that their talk shows would return before the strike ended. The end of the WGA strike does not return Hollywood to normal.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, Adam Conover, WE, Conover, David Slack, Bill Maher, Maher, Drew Barrymore, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chmielewski, Jamie Freed, Leslie Adler, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Writers Guild of America, REUTERS, Guild of America, WGA, Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery, SAG, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, United States

The Writers Guild of America (WGA), which represents roughly 11,500 film and television writers, reached a preliminary three-year deal with major studios on Sunday. While actors remain on strike, late-night and daytime talk shows may resume production once their writers receive the Guild's greenlight to return to work in the coming days or weeks. Film and television producer Todd Garner said he expects that once actors reach a deal, scores of productions will race to restart at once. Major television shows and movies are contractually in first position with actors, Garner said. Its shares have dropped nearly 14% since the writers' strike started on May 2, while Paramount, Disney and Netflix have lost between 20% and 45%.

Persons: David Swanson, Drew Barrymore, Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, Todd Garner, Garner, " Garner, Walt Disney, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, Rosenblatt, Barton Crockett, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chmielewski, Yuvraj Malik, Zaheer Kachwala, Arun Koyyur, Sandra Maler Organizations: Netflix, Writers Guild of America, REUTERS, Hollywood, Guild of America, SAG, Long, Warner Bros Discovery, Comcast, Hargreaves, Paramount, Disney, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, California, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line outside Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., July 25, 2023. While workers across the entertainment industry waited for word of the outcome, no agreement had been announced as of late Friday, the 144th day of the strike. Representatives for the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios, had no comment. Producer and WGA member Al Septien, also picketing outside Netflix on Friday, said he wanted to get back to work, but only under the right terms. We don't want to fold for a less-than-fair and good contract for the writers,” he said.

Persons: Mike Blake, Walt Disney, Bob Iger, Ted Sarandos, David Zaslav, Donna Langley, Matthew Weiner, Weiner, Al Septien, We've, ”, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chemielewski, Sandra Stojanovic, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Disney Studios, REUTERS, Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery, Comcast's, WGA, Alliance, Television Producers, SAG, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Angeles

[1/2] Phoebe Price holds a sign, while pushing a dog in a stroller, as SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Sunset Bronson studios, near Netflix offices in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 11, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreLOS ANGELES, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Negotiators for the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Hollywood studios will meet again on Thursday to try to resolve a nearly five-month standoff that has disrupted film and television production. CNBC, citing people close to the negotiations, said writers and producers were near an agreement and hoped to reach a deal on Thursday. But if a deal is not reached the strike could last through the end of the year, CNBC reported. No talks are currently scheduled between the actors and the studios.

Persons: Phoebe Price, Walt Disney, AMPTP, Bob Iger, Ted Sarandos, Donna Langley, David Zaslav, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chmielewski, Sandra Maler, Kim Coghill Organizations: SAG, Writers Guild of America, Netflix, REUTERS, Mario, Guild of America, Hollywood, WGA, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, People, CNBC, Thomson Locations: Sunset Bronson, Los Angeles , California, U.S, ANGELES

Representatives for Disney, Amazon and Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for comment. And critics seem to say that the quality of content being produced is actually in decline," Khan told The Ankler podcast. The SAG-AFTRA actors union, which went on strike July 14, also is seeking an increase in base pay and residuals. The WGA letter did not single out other companies, including Apple (AAPL.O), Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O), which also offer streaming media options. Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Julia Louis, Dreyfus, Christine, Walt Disney, Linda Khan, Khan, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chmielewski, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Warner Bros ., Screen, Writers Guild America, Guild of America, Netflix, Disney, Federal Trade Commission, WGA, Hollywood, SAG, Apple, Google, Warner Bros Discovery, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, ANGELES

LOS ANGELES, July 19 (Reuters) - Streaming video pioneer Netflix (NFLX.O) disappointed Wall Street on Wednesday with second-quarter revenue that fell short of analyst estimates, sending shares tumbling nearly 9% in after-hours trading. Netflix has been looking for new ways to make money as streaming competition intensifies and it nears market saturation in the United States. Its nearly 6 million subscriber additions outpaced the 1.9 million that Wall Street expected. Quarterly revenue climbed 2.7% from a year earlier to $8.2 billion, shy of analyst forecasts of $8.3 billion. Netflix said its advertising tier remained a small part of its membership base and that current ad revenue is not material.

Persons: we’ve, Craig Huber, Huber, We've, Spencer Neumann, Jeffrey Wlodarczak, Ted Sarandos, Sarandos, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chmielewski, Yuvraj Malik, Deepa Babington, Chris Reese Organizations: Netflix, Refinitiv, Huber Research Partners, Research, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, United States, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

The actors' union said on Thursday its board had unanimously agreed to a strike after failing to reach a deal with studios, including Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) and Netflix Inc (NFLX.O). Officials said actors would join picket lines in New York and Los Angeles starting on Friday. The economic damage is expected to spread after actors join the picket lines. The actors' walkout will shut down the studios' remaining U.S.-based productions of film and scripted television and hamper many overseas shoots. Britain's main entertainment industry union Equity said it backed its U.S. counterpart and would be bringing up many of the same issues in its own contract negotiations over the next 12 months.

Persons: Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree, Drescher, Rather, AFTRA, Paul Fleming, Lisa Richwine, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Diane Craft, Andrew Heavens, Barbara Lewis Organizations: SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Studios, Britain's Equity, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Walt Disney Co, Netflix Inc, Los Angeles, Equity, U.S ., Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hollywood's, New York, Los, California, Britain, London

LOS ANGELES, July 13 (Reuters) - Hollywood actors will go on strike at midnight on Thursday after talks with studios broke down, joining film and television writers who have been on picket lines since May and deepening the disruption of scores of shows and movies. The actors' union announced at a Thursday press conference that the strike will begin at midnight after its national board unanimously authorized the walkout. Fran Drescher, former star of "The Nanny" TV show and the president of SAG-AFTRA, called the studios' responses to actors' concerns "insulting and disrespectful." But the loss of actors, who will also not promote their films or TV shows while on strike, will put more pressure on media companies to find a resolution. The economic damage is expected to spread after actors join the picket lines on Friday.

Persons: Fran Drescher, Drescher, AFTRA, Rather, Duncan Crabtree, Ridley Scott, Bob Iger, Iger, Matt Damon, Oppenheimer, Lisa Richwine, Jonathan Allen, Dawn Chmielewski, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Mark Porter, Bill Berkrot Organizations: SAG, Writers Guild of America, Television Producers, Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co, Reuters, Alliance, Paramount Pictures, Hollywood, WGA, Screen Actors Guild, Disney, CNBC, Comcast, Paramount Global, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, United States, Hollywood's, Morocco, Malta, Idaho, California

Weekly orders this year now average 26 as the strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) halted many film and TV productions, Elyea said. Florists, caterers, costume suppliers and others have seen orders dwindle as many are still recovering from disruptions caused by COVID-19. No new talks are scheduled between major Hollywood studios and the writers, who are seeking higher pay and guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence. The strike's impact would be magnified if the SAG-AFTRA actors union also goes on strike when its contract expires on Friday. "Now, there's the writers' strike, and we're losing the movies that have been so good to us."

Persons: Pam Elyea's, Elyea, Kevin Klowden, Klowden, You've, Ross Garner, Danni Sapp, Sapp, Cristina, John Iverson, Cristina Iverson, Iverson, we're, hadn't, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chmielewski, Danielle Broadway, Rollo Ross, Mary Milliken, Sandra Maler Organizations: Hollywood, Hire, Writers Guild of America, SAG, WGA, Milken Institute, NFP's Entertainment Group, Services, Netflix, HBO, Television Fund, Vogue, FBI, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Los Angeles, California, United States, COVID, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Waco

June 13 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) on Tuesday announced that a new "Star Wars" film will reach theaters in 2026 but said it would postpone the release of the next three installments in James Cameron's blockbuster "Avatar" series. The studio also pushed back the scheduled release dates for "Thunderbolts" and "Blade," two Marvel films that have been disrupted by the ongoing strike by Hollywood writers. "Avatar 3," originally scheduled to debut in December 2024, is now set for release in December 2025. "Avatar 4" is slated for December 2029 and "Avatar 5" for December 2031. A new "Star Wars" movie was scheduled for December 2026, one of two in the space saga that will be released that year.

Persons: James Cameron's, Jon Landau, Landau, Mahershala Ali, Ryan Reynolds, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Walt Disney Co, Tuesday, Marvel, Hollywood, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles

[1/3] A man looks at his phone as he passes by a screen advertising Walt Disney's streaming service Disney+ in New York City, U.S., November 12, 2019. The division ended the quarter with an operating loss of $659 million, compared with $1.1 billion in the prior quarter. At the same time, total subscribers to the flagship Disney+ service dropped by 4 million to 157.8 million. Inge Heydorn, a fund manager at GP Bullhound, said a question for investors is: "are the trade offs from lower marketing costs leading to lower subscribers?" "We've only just begun to scratch the surface of what we can do with advertising on Disney+," Iger said on a conference call with analysts.

The company plans to expand its streaming offerings by the end of the year with a new app that combines Disney+ and Hulu, Chief Executive Bob Iger said. Total subscribers to the flagship Disney+ service dropped by 4 million from the previous quarter to 157.8 million. Most of the defections came from the Disney+ Hotstar offering in India after it lost streaming rights to Indian Premier League cricket matches. "Striking a fine balance between customer acquisition versus financial performance is no easy feat." As Disney tries to build streaming, its traditional television business faces hurdles.

LOS ANGELES, May 8 (Reuters) - Writing for a new season of "The Handmaid's Tale" and a coming "Game of Thrones" prequel was halted as a nearly week-long strike by thousands of film and television writers rippled across Hollywood on Monday. Writing of the dystopian drama stopped when the Writers Guild of America (WGA) called a strike last week, Chang told Reuters on Monday. Martin said in a blog post that the writers' room for prequel series "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight" was "closed for the duration of the strike." Warner Bros has not announced a release date for "The Hedge Knight." The second season of "House of the Dragon," another "Game of Thrones" prequel, began filming in April, Martin said, and will continue in London and Wales.

LOS ANGELES, May 1 (Reuters) - Thousands of film and television writers will go on strike starting Tuesday, throwing Hollywood into turmoil as the entertainment business grapples with seismic changes triggered by the global streaming TV boom. The rise of streaming has led to declining television ad revenue, as traditional TV audiences shrink and advertisers go elsewhere. The last WGA strike, in 2007 and 2008, cost the California economy an estimated $2.1 billion as productions shut down and out-of-work writers, actors and producers cut back spending. Writers say they have suffered financially during the streaming TV boom, in part due to shorter seasons and smaller residual payments. Half of TV series writers now work at minimum salary levels, compared with one-third in the 2013-14 season, according to Guild statistics.

"The companies' behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce," said the WGA, which represents roughly 11,500 writers. The rise of streaming has led to declining television ad revenue, as traditional TV audiences shrink and advertisers go elsewhere. The last WGA strike in 2007 and 2008 lasted 100 days. Writers say they have suffered in the streaming TV boom with shorter seasons and smaller residual payments. Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Alyssa PointerLOS ANGELES, May 1 (Reuters) - Negotiators for Hollywood writers and film and television studios engaged in 11th-hour contract talks on Monday to try and avert a strike that would disrupt TV production across an industry grappling with seismic changes. The Writers Guild of America could call a work stoppage as early as Tuesday if it cannot reach a deal with companies such as Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) and Netflix Inc (NFLX.O). Writers say they have suffered financially during the streaming TV boom, in part due to shorter seasons and smaller residual payments. Half of TV series writers now work at minimum salary levels, compared with one-third in the 2013-14 season, according to Guild statistics. The WGA wants safeguards to prevent studios from using AI to generate new scripts from writers' previous work.

LOS ANGELES, May 1 (Reuters) - Negotiators for Hollywood writers and film and television studios engaged in 11th-hour contract talks on Monday to try and avert a strike that would disrupt TV production across an industry grappling with seismic changes. Writers say they have suffered financially during the streaming TV boom, in part due to shorter seasons and smaller residual payments. Half of TV series writers now work at minimum salary levels, compared with one-third in the 2013-14 season, according to Guild statistics. The WGA wants safeguards to prevent studios from using AI to generate new scripts from writers' previous work. The last WGA strike in 2007 and 2008 lasted 100 days.

LOS ANGELES, March 9 (Reuters) - Hot dogs for fingers, plastic googly eyes, and conversing rocks are hardly staples of mainstream movie-making. Yet, they have became cultural touchstones of "Everything Everywhere All at Once," the at-times baffling and absurdist film that has captivated Hollywood. "It is using all of this apparatus of big storytelling that we've been kind of very accustomed to," Willmore said. "Bringing that large scale to bear on this very small story, I think that is really what has swept people up," she added. Star James Hong alluded to the confusion when the movie was honored at the Screen Actors Guild awards.

Box office receipts can rise as much as 75% in the weeks following a best picture nomination, according to Comscore data. The distributor, United Artists Releasing, planned the release strategy to coincide with this week's Oscar nominations, with the hope the movie would benefit from a box-office bounce. "Tar," a best picture contender starring Cate Blanchett as a manipulative orchestra conductor, will expand to 535 theaters from 100. 'NOT LOOKING GREAT'Even legendary director Steven Spielberg has had trouble drawing crowds to best picture nominee "The Fabelmans," his autobiographical story about family strife and anti-Semitism he faced as a teenager. Warner Bros is re-releasing the film in movie houses this weekend after it landed eight Oscar nominations including best picture and best actor.

[1/3] Reed Hastings, Co-CEO, Netflix speaks at the 2021 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. October 18, 2021. "It was a baptism by fire, given Covid and recent challenges within our business," Hastings said in a statement. To kick-start growth, Netflix introduced a cheaper, ad-supported option last November in 12 countries. We believe we have a clear path to reaccelerate our revenue growth," Netflix said in its quarterly letter to shareholders. That 2011 initiative cost the company 800,000 subscribers and sent the stock plunging.

He will replace Bob Chapek, who took over as Disney CEO in February 2020 just as the COVID-19 pandemic led to park closures and visitor restrictions. Disney disappointed investors this month with an earnings report that showed mounting losses at its streaming media unit that includes Disney+. [1/2] Executive Chairman of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger arrives at the world premiere for the film 'The King's Man' at Leicester Square in London, Britain December 6, 2021. Disney did not respond to a request for comment on Trian and Trian did not respond to a request for comment. During his tenure, Disney made several key acquisitions, including Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Entertainment and 21st Century Fox, and boosted its market capitalization five-fold.

[1/2] Executive Chairman of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger arrives at the world premiere for the film 'The King's Man' at Leicester Square in London, Britain December 6, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah McKayLOS ANGELES, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Former Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) Chief Executive Bob Iger is returning to the media company as CEO less than a year after he retired, a surprise appointment that comes as the entertainment company struggles to turn its streaming TV services into a profitable business. Iger, who retired last year after 15 years as chief executive, has agreed to serve as CEO for two more years, Disney said in a statement late on Sunday. He will replace Bob Chapek, who took over as Disney CEO in February 2020. Iger exited Disney on a high note as the company led the entertainment industry's battle against Netflix (NFLX.O) in the streaming wars.

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