ICYMI: DGA Deal; Execs' Awkward Summer

One down, two to go. Elaine Low reports today on the deal struck by the DGA last night over at Strikegeist, our free newsletter about Hollywood’s so-called Hot Labor Summer.

Meanwhile, other dust clouds swirl as The Ankler published three terrific stories this week about the volatile state of Hollywood 2023:

1. Business Affairs: Good Cop/Bad Cop of the Streaming Wars

Entertainment Strategy Guy looks at the shadowy, rarely-discussed world of studio business affairs, maybe the least glamorous corner of Hollywood and perhaps its most consequential. Who are these people? And what is it they really do? Do they deserve blame — but also credit as the last great hope to remake Hollywood deals? ESG lays it all out in a fascinating read.

2. Execs on Eggshells

A lot of people are in awkward places these days, but perhaps none more so than the mid-level studio exec. Miles away from the big decisions about the strike, they often privately sympathize with the writers, and feel frustrated by how much the C-suite is paid (while they are nonetheless bound to uphold the company line). Nicole LaPorte and Peter Kiefer have the story.

“When you see Ted Sarandos’ $50 million or whatever, to me, that’s gross. Even the Bela Bajaria salaries. Those are too high. They’re not justified in this world. So a lot of us are in a weird place.” – a senior Hollywood executive

3. The Rube Goldberg Nightmare of 2023

The deeper you go into unraveling a way out of the strike, the more you get lost in a net of inter-dependent alliances and arrangements, making any movement on either side difficult. But Richard thinks we might yet stumble into a way out, based on conversations around town. And perhaps, even, in not that long either.