One of the longest strikes in Hollywood history is finally coming to an end, putting to rest fears of a heavily disrupted 2023-24 TV season and furthers delay to theatrical releases. Actors’ union SAG-AFTRA announced on Wednesday that it has reached a tentative deal for a new contract with the major studios, after a historic work stoppage action that lasted nearly four months and brought the American movie and television industry to a near-halt. The union’s X account announced that the strike will officially end at midnight Pacific Time on 9 November. Details of the deal will be revealed after SAG-AFTRA’s national board reviews the contract on Friday for final approval.  

The deal comes after a week of tense negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the major studios. The new contract will see the first-ever protections for actors against artificial intelligence as well as a pay rise, with most minimums rising by 7%. There will also be a “streaming participation bonus” alongside bumps in pension and health insurance contributions. In an email sent to SAG-AFTRA members, the union valued the contract at over $1 billion in total, according to Variety.

This July, SAG-AFTRA had joined the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on the picket lines due to growing concerns about the use of AI and low pay for streaming projects. This was the first time in 60 years that the two unions went on strike together. The WGA reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the major studios, on 24 September and ended their strike on 27 September.

The deal will come as a relief for both studios and creative professionals, with many in the latter category struggling to make ends meet as the strike went on. It’s also great news for viewers, who have had to make do with reruns, game shows and reality television for the past few months. They can now look forward to new releases such as Dune 2, the latest film in the Mission Impossible franchise and Disney’s live-action Snow White, work on which had been held up for months due to the strike.