Is it a question of changing policy, or simply saber-rattling?
On Tuesday, News Corp. said it would not rule out switching its current TV series from SAG to AFTRA contracts. SAG immediately blasted back, saying the company was using illegal "scare tactics."
While the drama is unending in SAG negotiations, the plot twists are arriving ever more quickly these days -- underlining the fact that emotions are running high as Hollywood rethinks some longstanding ways of doing business with the guilds.
Fox announced at midday it was exploring a shift of existing series from SAG to AFTRA but retracted that statement a few hours later after both unions blasted the move.
Citing the months-long stalemate between SAG and the majors, 20th confirmed that it wants its spring pilots with AFTRA rather than SAG if possible. That development had been expected as top brass at studios and nets have grown increasingly unnerved by SAG's hardline stance (Daily Variety, Nov. 26).
"With all the uncertainty surrounding the stalled negotiations with SAG, 20th Century Fox Television is considering shooting its spring pilots under the AFTRA agreement," a spokesman said.
The spokesman also said that 20th Century Fox TV was "exploring every option," including transitioning shows from SAG to AFTRA. But the statement was altered a few hours later to say "Fox is only exploring producing shows under AFTRA for the spring pilot season, that's it. We are not looking to alter current productions."
OPRAH SIGNS DEAL WITH HBO TO DEVELOP SHOWS
Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films has entered into an exclusive output pact with HBO to develop and produce scripted series, minis, docs and movies for the pay cabler.
Deal comes at the end of Harpo's exclusive output pact with ABC, an arrangement that produced telepics including last year's "Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day."
HBO arrangement covers made-for TV programming and not theatrical properties, such as last year's Harpo-produced "Great Debaters."
"ABC was always incredibly supportive of us, but there are natural limitations to being on network TV, part of that being ratings and commercial sponsorship," said Harpo Films prexy Kate Forte. "It just seemed like a natural progression to meet with HBO, especially after the strong message I've been getting (from Winfrey) for the last year and a half that a lot of our projects seemed right for HBO."
Deal with HBO comes as Winfrey is readying the launch of the Oprah Winfrey Network, a cable channel she co-owns with Discovery Networks.
Forte said OWN's programming strategy will not be in line with the kind of content Harpo Films produces.
"Our deal with HBO is for scripted programming," she said. "OWN is more for nonscripted programming. It's a totally separate company."
According to HBO co-prexy Richard Plepler, the pact was made without any specific project in mind.
Plepler did seem to indicate, however, that Harpo's pact with HBO could be more prolific than the one it had with ABC. In fact, "For One More Day" was the only project to emerge from the company's Alphabet deal in the past two years.
"I don't think the number of ideas will be a problem," he said. "The question will be how can we do everything?"
CLASSIC FILMS
BY GENRE
Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Australia
Quantum of Solace
Milk
The Secret Life of Bees
BOX OFFICE
City of Ember
Four Christmases
Twilight
Bolt
