Recent articles
April 9, 2026
WGA West Urged by State Senator to Reach Deal With Striking Staffers
The Writers Guild of America has reached a deal with the studios, but most of the staff of its West local remains on strike. In a letter on Wednesday, California Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas urged th...
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April 8, 2026
What’s in the WGA Deal: $321 Million in Health Funding, Higher Premiums, Better Residuals, More AI Meetings (EXCLUSIVE)
TV and film writers will be paying more for their health care in a deal with the major studios unveiled Wednesday by the Writers Guild of America. In return, the studios will kick in $321 million —...
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April 6, 2026
SAG-AFTRA to Resume Talks With Studios in April, Thanks to Early WGA Deal
SAG-AFTRA will resume its negotiations with the major studios on April 27, thanks to an early agreement with the Writers Guild of America. The performers’ union broke off talks with the Alliance of...
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April 4, 2026
WGA Reaches Surprise Deal With Studios a Month Before Contract Expires
The Writers Guild of America has made a surprise deal with the major studios, nearly a month before the union’s contract was due to expire. The guild reached a tentative agreement on Saturday with ...
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April 3, 2026
Leonard Cohen’s Manager Cleared of Financial Wrongdoing After 10-Day Trial
Leonard Cohen’s manager has been exonerated of claims of financial wrongdoing following a 10-day trial in probate court. Cohen, the Canadian songwriter and poet, died in 2016 at the age of 82. His ...
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April 2, 2026
Blake Lively’s Sex Harassment Suit Against Co-Star Justin Baldoni Gutted by Judge
A judge has thrown out Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni, gutting her headline-grabbing lawsuit that followed the release of the domestic violence film “It Ends With Us...
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March 27, 2026
‘Scab!’: WGA Standoff With Striking Staff Gets Heated as Deal Remains Elusive
Tensions are starting to boil over between the Writers Guild of America West and its striking staffers, who have been without paychecks for going on six weeks. The Writers Guild Staff Union has bee...
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March 25, 2026
Kevin Spacey’s ‘House of Cards’ Firing: MRC Loses $29 Million Insurance Case Over Sexual Addiction
The producer of “House of Cards” has lost an insurance trial over $29 million in production costs incurred due to the firing of Kevin Spacey in 2017. The producer, Media Rights Capital, argued that...
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March 25, 2026
Meta and YouTube Ordered to Pay $3 Million in Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial
A jury on Wednesday ordered Meta and Google to pay $3 million to a 20-year-old woman who alleged that she was addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child. The jury of seven women and five men foun...
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March 23, 2026
Bill Cosby Hit With $19 Million Verdict in 1972 Sex Assault Case
A jury on Monday awarded a $19 million judgment against Bill Cosby, finding him liable for sexually assaulting a woman who was working as a waitress in 1972. The plaintiff, Donna Motsinger, alleged...
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March 20, 2026
Adam Schiff Touts Federal Film Incentive to Counter Hollywood Job Losses: ‘It Needs to Be Bipartisan’
Sen. Adam Schiff has drafted a bill to create a federal incentive for film and TV production, but said Friday that he still working to gain Republican co-sponsors. Schiff held a hearing at Burbank ...
variety.com
March 18, 2026
L.A. Soundstages Remain One-Third Empty Even as New Facilities Open
Los Angeles soundstages are still struggling to lease space to productions, even as new facilities are opening around the region. Soundstage occupancy fell to 62% in the first half of 2025, accordi...
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March 17, 2026
Vegas Gambler Adds Paramount and Ellisons to Suit Against Jeff Shell Over Purported PR Contract
A Las Vegas gambler has added Paramount Skydance and Larry and David Ellison to his lawsuit against executive Jeff Shell, escalating a dispute over purported off-the-books PR services. R.J. Ciprian...
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March 16, 2026
Adam Schiff to Hold Hearing on Hollywood Jobs With Noah Wyle and IATSE’s Matt Loeb
Sen. Adam Schiff will hold a field hearing on Friday in Burbank with “The Pitt” star Noah Wyle and IATSE President Matt Loeb, as he looks to build support for a federal film incentive. Schiff is al...
variety.com
March 16, 2026
WGA Begins Studio Talks at SAG-AFTRA Headquarters as Its Staff Pickets Outside
The Writers Guild of America began its talks with the major studios on Monday, as its striking staff members picketed outside. The talks were held at SAG-AFTRA headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard. S...
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March 16, 2026
SAG-AFTRA Wraps a Month of Studio Talks With No Deal, Will Resume in June
SAG-AFTRA has concluded a month of negotiations with the major studios without reaching a new contract, and will resume talks in June. The outcome was not unexpected, though negotiators had held ou...
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March 14, 2026
WGA West Sweetens Offer to Staff Union, Which May Picket AMPTP Talks
The Writers Guild of America West has sweetened its offer to the 110-member staff union that has been on strike since mid-February. But with only a couple of days left before the WGA begins its neg...
variety.com
March 13, 2026
Chalamet or Jordan? Oscars Betting Becoming a $100 Million-Plus Business With Kalshi and Polymarket
Timothée Chalamet was the overwhelming favorite to win the best actor Oscar until about two weeks ago, when Michael B. Jordan won SAG’s Actor Award. Suddenly, the price of a Chalamet contract on Ka...
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March 11, 2026
WGA to Seek Payment for AI Training on Scripts as Talks With Studios Set to Begin
The Writers Guild of America went on strike three years ago in large part out of fears of writers being replaced by artificial intelligence. That has not happened — whether due to copyright issues,...
variety.com
March 10, 2026
Kathy Ireland, Supermodel Turned Branding Mogul, Accuses Business Managers of Looting Her Wealth
Kathy Ireland, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit model who later made the cover of Forbes as a branding mogul, has accused her former business managers of looting millions of dollars from her and lea...
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March 9, 2026
Paramount President Jeff Shell Sued for $150 Million Over Alleged PR Contract
Jeff Shell, the president of Paramount Skydance, was sued Monday by a man who claims he is owed $150 million for crisis communications services and for Shell’s refusal to help produce a TV show. Th...
variety.com
March 7, 2026
WGA Members Approve Bargaining Agenda Focused on Health Care, Pay, AI
The members of the Writers Guild of America have voted to approve an agenda for bargaining with the studios, which is set to begin on March 16. With 97.4% voting in favor, the union approved a “pat...
variety.com
March 6, 2026
SAG-AFTRA and Studios Agree to Extend Negotiations Into Next Week
SAG-AFTRA and the major studios have agreed to continue negotiations on a new contract into next week, a sign that both sides see the value in further discussions. The performers’ union started bar...
variety.com
March 4, 2026
‘Matlock’ Actor David Del Rio Files Arbitration Claim Against CBS Over Firing
David Del Rio, the actor who was escorted off the set of “Matlock” last fall, has filed an arbitration claim against CBS Studios over his termination. Del Rio played Billy Martinez on the show, whi...
variety.com
March 4, 2026
L.A. Council Approves Some Measures to Streamline Film Permitting
The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to streamline some film permitting procedures and seek an audit of FilmLA, the regional permitting body, as it tries to address a dramatic downturn in l...
variety.com
March 3, 2026
Trump Will Attend White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Ending Boycott
He missed Hasan Minhaj. He skipped Michelle Wolf. But when mentalist Oz Pearlman takes the podium at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner next month, President Trump will be there. Tr...
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March 1, 2026
WGA Cancels L.A. Award Show Due to Staff Strike
The Writers Guild of America West has canceled its annual award show in downtown L.A., as its staff remains on strike. “I am writing to share the news that the 2026 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles...
variety.com
February 27, 2026
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Federal Antitrust Review May Be a Done Deal
One of the most significant mergers in Hollywood history may have cleared federal antitrust review — a week before it was even announced. On Feb. 20, Paramount declared that its deal for Warner Bro...
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February 26, 2026
WGA Aims to Turn Focus to Studios, While Staff Remains on Strike
The Writers Guild of America issued its opening salvo the 2026 studio negotiations on Thursday, even as its own staff continues to walk a picket line outside union headquarters. The union is prepar...
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February 25, 2026
Trump Touts Economic Record and Slams Immigrants in Divisive State of the Union Speech
President Trump touted his economic achievements and attacked immigrants and Democrats in a divisive State of the Union address on Tuesday. Trump also criticized the Supreme Court, which struck dow...
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