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Writers React To Directors Guild-AMPTP Contract Deal: “WGA Takes A Stand, DGA Reaps The Rewards”

Dominic Patten, Erik Pedersen and Nellie Andreeva
·6 min read

UPDATED: Reaction is coming in after the Directors Guild and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached a tentative deal on a new three-year contract late Saturday night. Striking writers express some disappointment in their sister union while showing resolve in their own fight for a fair deal with the studios. And, with the Succession finale still fresh in everyone’s mind, many are using memes from the saga about corporate intrigue and backstabbing to illustrate their reactions on social media.

“I wasn’t around in ’08, but this feels like that from what I’ve heard,” a writer working on streaming series told Deadline Sunday. “The WGA takes a stand, the DGA reaps the rewards.”

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A veteran showrunner assessed the impact of the DGA pact while also looking ahead to the SAG-AFTRA strike authorization vote which concludes Monday.

“The two guilds have a lot of different issues this year, that’s a fact, but no one can say this deal doesn’t change things, the momentum,” a veteran showrunner told Deadline today. “The outcome of that SAG-AFTRA vote is the next big hurdle. If they vote against a strike … well, I don’t know, it’ll be hard.”

Added another WGA member, “We went on strike because the studios were devaluing us. From what I read this morning, the DGA agreement only touches on residuals for us. Otherwise, I think its impact won’t be much.”

Another writer had a slightly different take on how the DGA deal would impact the WGA.

“I mean, I just want to get back to work. This is the DGA’s deal — sucks, but I get they did it,” the person said. “It’s not going to change much for us. Actually, it will change something for us: make us more determined to fight for a fair deal for us.”

Here’s a sampling of Twitter reaction from striking writers and their supporters talking about the DGA-AMPTP deal.

Veteran comedy showrunner brought up the fact that DGA had held “preliminary conversations” with AMPTP before ceding the tentpole negotiating position to WGA.

Veteran TV writer-producer Amy Berg posted a multi-tweet thread that began with, “Thrilled that the DGA was able to use the power of the WGA’s labor action to secure a deal that works for them.” She added: “We proposed a number of these terms… before the AMPTP cut off negotiations in order to hand a deal to the DGA. They will continue to not speak to us, offering them next to SAG. But we have needs in areas they don’t, and will secure a deal that works for us. This isn’t it.”

Oscar and Emmy winner Travor Free tweeted: “As a DGA member this deal looks great. As a WGA member, this deal is proof the AMPTP just doesn’t respect writers. The fact that you can make an historic deal with the people who can’t even do their jobs until writers do theirs screams all you need to know about the AMPTP.”

Earlier in the morning, veteran writer-director DeKnight (Spartacus, Daredevil) wrote about the DGA deal on Twitter, “We expected thus. Changes absolutely nothing,” followed by several clinched fist emojis.

There were quite a few Succession-themed reactions:

And the tweets kept comin’:

TV writer/IATSE member Amy Thurlow also posted a thread Sunday morning. It began with: “Just a reminder they made a deal with the DGA in hopes of pitting us against each other. Don’t fall for it. The enemy is not the DGA it’s the AMPTP.”

The Good Wife franchise and Evil co-creator Robert King was a little more optimistic about the DGA’s deal as it relates to the WGA:

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