As the strike by Hollywood screenwriters enters its third week, there is a glimmer of hope for a resolution before the end of the month, with both sides agreeing on a date to return to formal talks.
The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have announced they will return to the table on Nov. 26 — the Monday following the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
However, the writers will continue with planned strike actions, including picketing in New York and Los Angeles, as well as a large march down Hollywood Boulevard on Tuesday, union officials said.
Screenwriters from Canada and around the world are also planning an international day of solidarity to show support for their U.S. colleagues on Nov. 28.
The guild had previously announced that writers would take a break from the picket lines for the holiday weekend, beginning Wednesday and lasting through Sunday.
Talks between the guild and the producers broke off Nov. 4, with the more than 10,000 members of the screenwriters guild taking up picket signs on both coasts of the U.S. the following day.
According to industry trade publication Hollywood Reporter, a number of individuals have been working behind the scenes in an attempt to bring both sides back to the table, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former actor, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Bryan Lourd, a partner of top talent firm Creative Artists Agency.
The divisive issue in the contentious contract negotiation has been the model for compensating writers when their work is reused on newer technological formats, including DVDs, cellphones and the internet.
After filming their last few completed scripts, a host of TV sitcoms and dramas have closed down production, following in the footsteps of late-night talk shows, which shut down immediately after the strike began.
The strike's effect has also began to spread to movies, with Sony announcing a delay in the production of Angels and Demons, another film inspired by a book from Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown, and moving the upcoming film's release date to May 2009 instead of December 2008.
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