David Goodman: Last News

In the last hour, the AMPTP made its first public remarks since the writers went on strike, calling its offer “generous”.

Outside the Fox lot in Century City this afternoon, WGA Negotiating Committee Co-Chair Chris Keyser appeared amongst over 150 members who were on site to picket following the breakdown of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion and Television Producers and the expiration of their contract.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The solo TV auteur may soon be a thing of the past. The Writers Guild of America will sit down with the studios on Monday, and high on the agenda is setting a minimum staffing level for writers rooms. That means the days when Mike White or Craig Mazin could write an entire season of prestige TV all by themselves could be coming to an end. The guild argues that studios are squeezing more work out of fewer writers over a shorter time span, and paying them less than they’re entitled to. And the union’s leadership believes that it’s time to set basic standards around the size and duration of a writers’ room.

The WGA came out today in opposition to Georgia’s new voter-suppression law, suggesting that the state’s booming film and television industry might suffer if it’s allowed to stand. Supporters of the law say it’s designed to prevent voter fraud.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterThough confined to a virtual ceremony thanks to the pandemic, leadership at the Writers Guild of America still found cause for celebration at their annual awards ceremony.WGA West president David Goodman and WGA East head Beau Willimon addressed nominees and members in a pre-recorded greeting on Sunday, recapping their recent triumph in a nearly three-year battle with the talent agencies.“We are recording this 3 weeks ahead of the ceremony, so if anything has happened to me in the meantime I would encourage the police to take hard look at Ari Emanuel,” Goodman joked, referring to the Endeavor CEO, whose WME agency was the final institution to cave to the guild’s demands over packaging fees.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorWGA West president David Goodman knew taking on Hollywood’s largest talent agencies would be an uphill battle from the start.But the veteran showrunner who led the guild’s campaign to reform its agency franchise rules was heartened at key junctures during the three-year fight by the strong sense of solidarity and unanimity among WGA members about the need to eliminate agency packaging fees and to clamp down on agency-affiliated production activity.On Friday, the WGA West and WGA East reached total victory, securing a franchise agreement with the last and largest agency holdout, WME.“To me, the greatest accomplishment is showing that the guilds took on a fight that pretty much the whole town thought we would

Michael Franklin, who represented directors and writers as executive director of the DGA and WGA West, died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 96.

Nellie Andreeva, Dominic Patten In what would be the biggest get yet for the WGA in its yearlong standoff with the top agencies, the scribes’ union appears close tonight to an agreement with UTA.We hear that at a captains meeting Tuesday evening, WGA West president David Goodman revealed to members that the union were finalizing a deal with “major agency.” Official details of the possible breakthrough agreement could coming as soon as Wednesday, sources say.The agency in question was not identified.However, multiple sources point to UTA as the likely new WGA signatory.Attendees at the virtual labor meeting were also told that there is another significant agency pact was brewing too, we’ve learned.