The Hollywood Desk covers the studios, streamers, deals and labor rules that run film and television. Articles under this byline draw on public records, official data and published reporting, and are checked against their sources before publication.
SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA's rules count overtime from first call to dismissal and charge meal penalties by the half-hour, but the 2026 penalty figures differ across sources.
WGA
Under WGA rules, the studio proposes writing credits, writers can protest, and a three-member committee decides. Producers and directors face a higher bar on original screenplays.
Skydance
Skydance's SEC filing names Laurene Powell Jobs and Bobby Kotick as directors, with both seats tied to the Warner Bros. Discovery merger closing.
studio deals
Studios and streamers use two very different structures to lock down producer talent. First-look deals offer overhead and freedom; overall deals offer guarantees and exclusivity.
Paramount-Warner merger
Judge approves $110 billion merger with consent decree requiring editorial board for CNN, 30-32 annual films, and $300 million production spending.
streaming
Netflix is under contract to buy its first major Los Angeles soundstage campus as streamers shift from renting expensive production space to owning long-term infrastructure.
studio deals
Studio accounting keeps net profits rare. Top talent negotiate for gross participation instead, while middle-tier talent settle for points that rarely pay out.
labor
Choreographers joined SAG-AFTRA under a new Schedule J provision in 2026, gaining union benefits and formal working conditions after decades outside the labor structure.
theatrical strategy
Studios use exclusive theatrical periods to maximize revenue across multiple platforms. The length varies by studio strategy, film performance, and the cascade of monetization windows that follow.
deals
First-look and overall deals give studios priority access to producers' projects, but operate under fundamentally different terms.
film development
Option agreements let producers secure exclusive development rights for a limited time by paying a fraction of the purchase price.
film incentives
State and local tax incentives now determine studio locations. Producers save 15 to 45 percent of production costs through credits and grants, making them central to where films and TV shows get made.
labor costs
Films budgeted under $16.5 million must fit into five IATSE tiers that determine union wage scales and shape how producers finance projects.
residuals
Streaming didn't kill the residual check, but it forced the guilds to rebuild the formula around subscriber counts and viewership thresholds instead of reruns.
Comcast
Comcast says its plan to spin off NBCUniversal remains on track, even as attendance softness at Universal Orlando drags into a third quarter.
antitrust
Twelve states are suing to block Paramount Skydance's takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, freezing the deal until a March 2027 trial.
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