Hollywood is anticipating a settlement on the Directors Guild contract this week — but not expecting an end to the labor war, Variety reports.
Anticipation of a DGA deal is amping up the pressure from all sides on the leadership of the Writers Guild. The major studios sent a blunt wakeup call to striking scribes Monday, canceling dozens of TV deals in a move guaranteed to intimidate WGA members and split their ranks.
A significant number of writers — weary of the 11-week strike and perplexed over what they perceive as the hardline approach of WGA West prexy Patric Verrone and exec director David Young — have been quietly pushing for the leaders not to reject the DGA deal out of hand.
Top scribes have been telling agents they will seriously consider going fi-core (resigning from the WGA by declaring “financial core” status) should the leadership spurn the terms in the DGA pact.
That group, which styles itself as moderate and pragmatic, held a meeting early in the week and has been seeking recruits with the warning that more pain will visit the scribes shortly should Verrone and Young give a thumbs-down to the DGA terms.
The DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers met for the fifth consecutive day Wednesday under a news blackout. Both sides will meet again today at AMPTP headquarters.