Studios begin reinstating suspended overall and first-look deals; Not all pacts will be extended

UPDATED with more studios and details: Just as studios quickly began suspending overall and first-look deals just days after the WGA strike began, several began restoring suspended contracts immediately after the strike ended Wednesday morning.

I’ve heard that Warner Bros. Television, Disney TV Studios’ 20th Century Fox TV and ABC Signature, Apple, Netflix and Sony Pictures Television are among those that have started notifying people that their contracts are back in effect have occurred. This includes all of the studios’ top talent, both writer-producers and non-writer-producers, whose contracts were recently suspended.

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Other studios, including Amazon Studios, CBS Studios, Paramount TV Studios and Universal Studio Group, are expected to begin sending their letters to writers and non-writing producers by the end of the week – some as early as this evening.

Contracts will not automatically renew following a strike-related suspension, with studios exercising their ability to do so on a case-by-case basis. As expected, not all contracts will be renewed, meaning some will not receive the lock-in period of up to five months for the first wave of affected authors, which will be extended at the end of the term. I’ve heard that this affects contracts that are nearing their end date and that the studios don’t plan on renewing. (A number of contracts that expired during the strike will also not be renewed.)

I’ve heard that from the studios that started sending out their notices, WBTV has not renewed a significant portion of their suspended contracts, even half. According to sources, this is not yet final and for longer-term agreements, a decision on possible extensions will only be made after further discussions. I hear NBCUniversal isn’t renewing a significant number of contracts either.

Additionally, I understand that Sony’s pickup letters did not address renewals, so that is left for a future conversation.

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