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So many rumors of WGA side deals: Lionsgate, The Weinstein Co, and the latest, Lucasfilm.
MONDAY UPDATE: Now the WGA and United Artists make it official.
Writers Guild of America Announces
Independent Agreement With United ArtistsLOS ANGELES – January 7, 2008 – The Writers Guild of America and legendary United Artists Films have reached a mutually beneficial independent agreement. While the details are not being disclosed in this announcement, the comprehensive agreement addresses the issues important to writers, including New Media.
As a result of this agreement, Writers Guild members will be able to work with United Artists while the strike against other companies continues.
The agreement is unique to United Artists Films and does not involve Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), a shareholder of United Artists Entertainment.
“United Artists has lived up to its name. UA and the Writers Guild came together and negotiated seriously. The end result is that we have a deal that will put people back to work,” said Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West.
“This agreement is important, unique, and makes good business sense for United Artists. In keeping with the philosophy of its original founders, artists who sought to create a studio in which artists and their creative visions could flourish, we are pleased to have reached an agreement with the WGA,” said UA co-owner and CEO Paula Wagner.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Bring on Marvel Studios next
DIdn’t someone comment in the John RIdley thread that Lucas went Fi-Core a long time ago or something similar? This would be highly surprising to hear a deal made with him.
This would be more of those ill-advised and meaningless side deals which will ultimately break the WGA, right?
Lucas had disputes with the DGA and WGA years ago and either quit or went fi-core because it suited him at the time. And because he could, without having to worry about his career.
While it may be just a rumor that Lucasfilm is in play, they do have three television series in various stages of development at the moment. So it might suit them now to sign a WGA deal and get rolling again. (George has no reason to worry about the AMPTP either.
Hey, what about Revolution Studios? I didn’t see them as listed as being owned by any of the congloms.
This has got to be annoying for television writers to hear more studio rumors, but GE/NBC-Uni, Disney, Fox, CBS Corp/Viacom, and Time-Warner are controlled by assholes.
It’s going to be tough to break any portion of them.
Other than WWP, I’d love to see the TV writers to catch a frickin’ break – particularly the daytime writers that don’t have as much to gain from this strike as other writers do.
I think the more side-deals the better. Divide and conquer is the right idea when dealing with people who refused to come to the table.
I hope either these side deals or a DGA deal will be the keys to ending this strike very soon.
(To any writers out there with informed guesses, if the strike ended in the next 2 weeks, how many episodes could be produced of “Heroes” and could “24″ season 7 still air if it started in late February?)
This is not even news. Obviously these small companies can and will make deals with the WGA because they don’t produce the kinds of media that the WGA is currently fighting for. None of the companies that have made deals produce scripted TV or reality programming, which the WGA wants jurisdiction over and better terms over all media. Nor do they produce animation, which the WGA wants to be the Mafia for. These are victories for about 20 of the 10,000 members, especially with UA. They have made the 2 worst performing movies since the new management took over. They need the opportunity to get the best possible projects so they will sell their soul to the devil right now. When the WGA makes a deal with the idiotic WGA idemands included, then maybe it will be considered progress. Nikki, again, you need to report to how this fits into the entire landscape and put it in perspective of the entire industry. You are an irresponsible journalist and you become even less relevant when you say things like “this is HUGE”. It is not and you don’t even mention these issues. Go back to journalism school. Try fair and balanced and stop pushing your agenda of trying to extend your 15 minutes to 20. The strike made you relevant and everyone should know that your selfish desire to stay in the spotlight is aiding in extending the work stoppage….which is exactly what you want
I can only hope that some of these rumors are true. It seems to be that the WGA stratagy is working. Good for them.
@Clare
Exactly… putting writers back to work with a fair contract their leadership approves of, is just what will destroy the Guild once and for all. Please let Gavin Polone ride to the rescue.
Come on in Guys, the water’s fine.
This idea of a “side deal” is nonsense. All of these deals will eventually revert to whatever overall AMPTP agreement we reach. So it works out to the same thing as “working without a contract.”
You know, the same thing we would be doing if we hadn’t gone on strike.
This email to me from Lance on my myspace page sets the Lucas record straight about Lucas going Fi-core.
Chris:
Caught your comment on the Nikki Finke website, regarding Lucas and the DGA/WGA dispute.
You might actually know this, but Lucas did not arbitrarily go crazy about the situation. The dispute was based on the fact that his name is part of his production company’s name, LucasFilm.
As is usual, the production company/studio name was shown at the beginning of STAR WARS. The guilds contested that because George’s name was there, even in that form form, he couldn’t run the rest of the credits at the end of the film.
I’m sure you know that many movies run credits at the end. I personally prefer it. It’s no issue, as long as no one’s name appears in the beginning.
Did the guilds act with malice? Who knows.
In the Lucas situation, there was much more going on behind the scenes than is apparent, but suffice to say George didn’t have a lot of friends in the leadership of either guild. And, he was none too excited about being part of any guild.
Do you know he also fired his agents (ICM), once he felt he no longer needed them? I believe this was either right before, or during THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.
The reality is, Lucas needs no one. He hasn’t for a very long time. He’s a true independent, and he exercised his privileges when he eliminated all the middle-men from his personal and career equations.
I may not like most of his work, but I respect his convictions…even though I’m a very, very strong supporter of the DGA.
Cheers.
L.
No, Clare. This would be a deal that gets Guild writers back working and puts pressure on those congloms (Sony) that are just in the movie business and would be falling behind the likes of United Artists, Lionsgate and whoever else. Guild members would understand this and applaud these writers like those at World Wide Pants.
Since UA distributes through MGM, are we seeing the birth of a new paradigm wherein smaller movie studios make movies and the majors just distribute them? It’s an honorable and cheap way out for the majors and a way for creatives to get the deals they want. Unfortunately the one thing the conglomerates want is the copyright, so maybe not. Just thinking on (virtual) paper…
I believe the comment referenced in this article is from this blog – the article (and I don’t think the NYT can be called a troll/scab/shill newspaper) speaks to one of the same questions I have: don’t these side deals actually strengthen the AMPTP? Since the small companies don’t have to pay any of these costs ’til way down the line and since they eventually get the same deal as the AMPTP, aren’t the small studios just now acting as development houses for the big guys?
From the NYT
“The agreement, still unsigned as of Sunday afternoon but close to being final, is part of a union strategy to sign deals with smaller production companies to improve its leverage. “Is what I’m doing right now a touchdown dance? Yes, I believe it is,” wrote one writer on an industry blog.
But an analysis of the deal suggests the writers may be gaining less than they think.
Indeed, an agreement with United Artists would not alter the balance of power in the strike. More than 100 production companies signed interim agreements with the union during the last strike to little effect, and United Artists, despite the spotlight Mr. Cruise brings, is a small player. The company is set up to make only four to six movies a year.”
Moreover, the writers could be undermining their position by seeking agreements with independent producers because it would allow the big studios to use the fleet of smaller independent producers as processing factories. In the fluid world of Hollywood, where companies often collaborate, a studio could team up with independents, positioning itself to withstand a longer strike.
”
Not intended to be devisive, just really wondering.
Just because Lucas had issues with the guilds over his personal credits doesn’t mean he’s anti-writer/anti-director–or even anti-union. I believe the man views himself as an artist first and a “mogul”, um, like 247th (if at all). So I wouldn’t assume he’d hold a hard line that would hurt his fellow artists. And I believe he’s always liked to feel like a bit of a rebel; signing an interim agreement around the roadblocks of the AMPTP would certainly make him one.
Plus, he’s got a mega-blockbuster about to open in the new Indiana Jones movie, so I would think he’d want to make it as easy as possible to get it promoted.
Just the opinion of a fan–both of George and the WGA.
This may the AMPTP collapsing in front of our eyes.
It seems like real progress if the WGA can negotiate with reasonable companys. Let the mogals sit with all their pennies this may end up with everyone working except the big six. Wouldn’t that be a hoot!
They are all independent studios, so it makes sense.
“Clare”, take a look around – most WGA members are THRILLED at the news of each and every interim deal that gets made. Soon the town will be split into two camps – the Fair Deal Companies, and the Dinosaurs.
Lucas may have gone Fi-Core himself years ago, but his *company* is another matter – and his company has two major television productions in the works, one already in full production (Clone Wars), and the other heading that way RSN (Star Wars live-action)… and Lucas has always had a thing about operating without studio control – doing a deal like this in these circumstances would not surprise me…
Just to be clear: side deals are anything but meaningless. They create valuable “facts on the ground” that will be extremely valuable in eventual negotiations over a final deal. The more companies sign these interim deals, the more leverage the guild has, plain and simple. And the possibility that they are “favored nations” has no bearing on their value; only the number and size of the companies that sign them matter.
George Lucas resigned from the DGA years ago, after they ruled that Irvin Kershner’s credit had to come ahead of his on “The Empire Strikes Back”. To the best of my knowledge he’s still a WGAw member.