According to sources familiar with the matter, the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are in the “final phase” of negotiations. They hope to reach a deal and bring the historic work stoppage that has severely impacted the entertainment industry to an end by the end of the weekend. The two parties have been negotiating for the fourth consecutive day, with the involvement of the big four studio bosses. While the studio chiefs were no longer present in the room on Saturday afternoon, they remained fully engaged in the process. Representatives for the AMPTP and the WGA have not commented on the matter yet.

The WGA went on strike on May 2, and the work stoppage reached its 145th day on Saturday, putting it within two weeks of the longest strike in the union’s history, which lasted 154 days in 1988. Many productions had halted even before SAG-AFTRA joined the WGA on strike on July 14. The negotiations between the two sides have revolved around various issues, such as wages, worker protections, and the use of artificial intelligence.