Hollywood Reacts To The DGA Deal
· The DGA, as you undoubtedly heard just moments after puffs of white smoke were belched skyward from the chimney of AMPTP headquarters, reached a deal with the studios yesterday. While anxious WGA members are picking over the proposed contract to see if any writer-screwing provisions have been hidden in the fine print, a strike-weary industry reacts: "One thing that is very clear is that with all the bad blood between the WGA and studios, the writers can strike until the end of time and they will not do better than the directors did. It is time to stop this," said a "veteran agent" obviously eager to start earning commissions again. Check out the full story to read quotes carefully chosen to make the WGA look totally unreasonable if they don't fall hopelessly in love with the terms offered the directors! [Variety]
[After the jump: more deal reactions! Zac Efron hearts Orson Welles! Primetime TV may soon offer nothing but celebrity circus shows!]
· Notes of cautious optimism™ have been struck by polled showrunners, though at least one quoted admits that writers may not know if the deal's new media provisions will prove fair until the buggering is already in progress: "'I can't look at that and go, "I'm being fucked"' or "That's good," " he said. 'I don't know what the landscape is going to be a year from now or five years from now. To me, the issue I always thought was the unknown. Maybe they could screw us royally, but we won't know that until it happens.'" [Variety]
· Variety analyzes the deal: "All in all, the master contract agreement...provides substantial gains in new media that will put more coin in the pockets of film and TV helmers." For a slightly different take from those whose livelihoods are at stake, here's United Hollywood's "first glance" at the deal summary. [Variety].
· We're sure that wherever he is, Orson Welles is thrilled that his name graces the title of a Zac Efron project. [THR]
· The networks, desperate for anything they can slap onto their strike-crippled schedules, are going batshit insane for celebrity circus shows! NBC's "closing a deal" for international hit Celebrity Circus, ABC wants to revive Circus of the Stars, and CBS and Fox are fighting to the death to win the rights to A Baldwin Brother To Be Named Rides An Elephant In Circles While Andy Dick Dangles From A Trapeze Above Him. [Variety]