Studios are ready to make the show they hope will end the SAG-AFTRA strike

Major Hollywood studios are preparing to submit a proposal to SAG-AFTRA on Friday that they hope will end the 113-day actors’ strike.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had previously warned the actors’ union that if an agreement was not reached by the end of this week, networks would have to cancel some television shows and there would be further delays in 2024 summer theatrical releases.

It is possible that the talks will continue until the end of the week, especially if both sides believe that an initial agreement is within reach. The agreements with the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America were finalized on a Saturday in June and a Sunday in September, respectively.

In an Instagram message on Friday, union president Fran Drescher said she hoped the studios’ response would “close the deal.”

“Let’s hope the amptp CEO resurfaces with a stamp on the deal meter!” she wrote.

To date, AMPTP has not informed the union that its counter will be the “last, best and final” offer. This is a technical term in employment negotiations, and is intended to indicate that the employer will not make any further concessions of significance.

But given that SAG-AFTRA is already on strike, the union could simply refuse to accept it and remain on strike.

SAG-AFTRA said it submitted a counteroffer last Saturday and has been waiting for a response since then. The consortium also gave a three-hour presentation on Wednesday on its latest AI proposals.

The union has been sticking to certain provisions – including on artificial intelligence – that it considers “existential” for actors. Studios have complained that actors are bringing up more and more AI scenarios and are not moving toward an agreement.

The negotiations also included more than a dozen other items, which are the subject of Saturday’s SAG-AFTRA counter.