EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate Television has joined other studios in suspending overall and first-look deals with non-writing producers who are not rendering services due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. I hear those impacted include Paul Feig‘s Feigco Entertainment, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum‘s The Tannenbaum Co., Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly‘s Timberman/Beverly Productions, Michael London‘s Groundswell Productions and Power universe star Joseph Sikora.
According to sources, Lionsgate will continue to pay assistants and development executives under the suspended deals until October 1 at which time payments may be extended if needed. A rep for the studio declined comment.
Other studios that have suspended term deals — predominantly with non-writing executive producers — over the last couple of weeks include Disney, Apple, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. TV and CBS Studios.
Disney is providing salaries for the impacted assistants through the end of 2023 and development executives through the first week of October. CBS Studios also continues to pay salaries to assistants associated with the suspended deals through the end of 2023.
TV studios initiated the first wave of suspending overall and first-look deals –- primarily with writers — in early May, just days into the WGA strike. There have been more rolling suspensions over the past couple of months as more producers wrapped work on shows amid an industry production shutdown.
The new round comes as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are stretching into the fall. In the first piece of good news in weeks, the WGA and AMPTP have agreed to resume negotiations this Wednesday.
