After a third straight day of negotiations between Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters, a deal has yet to be reached. However, substantial progress has been made, according to sources familiar with the talks. The negotiations took place at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers headquarters in suburban Los Angeles, with several top Hollywood executives directly participating. Among those present were Robert A. Iger of Disney, Donna Langley of NBCUniversal, Ted Sarandos of Netflix, and David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery. Their direct involvement, which was seen by many as long overdue, contributed to meaningful progress over the past few days.

During the negotiations on Thursday, the sides narrowed their differences on the topic of minimum staffing for television show writers' rooms. This was a point that the studios were previously unwilling to engage on before the strike was called in May. However, the negotiations took a turn when the guild made additional requests during a short break. One of the requests was that a return to work by screenwriters should be tied to a resolution of the actors' strike, which is being led by SAG-AFTRA, and began in July. The actors' union's demands, including a 2% share of streaming revenue, exceed those of the Writers Guild.

Despite the setback, negotiations resumed on Friday after an email was sent to guild members urging them to show support on picket lines. In a show of solidarity, several hundred writers turned up to picket outside Paramount Pictures, while others participated in themed pickets, such as "puppet day" and "silent disco." By the end of the day, the talks were mostly back on track, and progress was made on the issue of minimum staffing for television shows. The sides were discussing a proposal in which at least four writers would be hired regardless of the number of episodes or the showrunner's opinion.

The strike, which has lasted for 144 days, is the longest in Hollywood since 1988 when it lasted for 153 days. However, there is hope that a resolution is near, with some sources stating that an agreement could be reached as early as Thursday. Nevertheless, if a deal isn't agreed upon, the strike could continue until the end of the year.

The joint statement released by the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Wednesday, announcing the continuation of negotiations, was seen as a positive sign by many. It indicated that progress was being made, and the hope for a resolution grew. The strike has had a significant impact on the industry, with production of movies and television shows coming to a halt. Issues such as pay, writing staff sizes, and the use of artificial intelligence in scripts have been the main points of contention.

The strike by Hollywood writers has coincided with a strike by actors represented by SAG-AFTRA. This is the first time in 63 years that Hollywood has faced two simultaneous strikes. However, no new negotiations are currently scheduled for the actors' strike.

As negotiations continue, the outcome of the talks remains uncertain. However, the involvement of top executives and the progress made in recent days provide hope that a resolution may be within reach.