Film and TV writers were led into their two-month strike by Hollywood outsiders who were elected as union leaders after promising to take on the movie studios and TV networks head-on, the Wall Street Journal resports.

As the directors’ union enters its own contract talks, the question is whether it will fare better under the leadership of longtime Hollywood insiders who are taking a less confrontational approach.

The writers’ strike, now entering its 10th week, has been distinguished by the Writers Guild of America’s willingness to upend the clubby atmosphere of the entertainment industry. The writers have attacked corporate chiefs at the big media companies on the other side of the negotiating table, criticized entertainers such as Jay Leno who have worked despite the strike, and now are on the brink of upsetting one of Hollywood’s most sacred cows — the awards season — by pressing to disrupt or halt Sunday’s Golden Globes show.

The writers also have been seeking to divide the studios by making interim agreements with various producers that allow certain writers to return to work. Such a deal enabled David Letterman to return to the TV airwaves last week with the benefit of his writing staff. Now, the writers are expected to strike the first such deal with a film studio: United Artists Films, the small movie studio revived by Tom Cruise and business partner Paula Wagner. Should that occur, other small film companies could follow suit; Weinstein Co., another independent movie studio, will likely follow with its own agreement by week’s end, according to a person familiar with the company’s plans.

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