Latest in Writers Guild Of America

Brad Garrett has been tapped as host of the Writers Guild Awards in Los Angeles. A three-time Emmy winner, Garrett is perhaps best known for his role as Robert Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond. Should be interesting as host, as his stand up routines can be a bit on the raunchy side. The awards are set for Saturday at…

The Writers Guild Foundation has tapped a civil rights attorney as its next leader. Katie Buckland, former executive director of the California Women’s Law Center, a legal advocacy group targeting the civil rights of women and girls, will replace the retired Angela Kirgo, who stepped down after two decades. Earlier in…

The Writers Guild of America West has demanded a $3 million bond from Nickelodeon because of "chronically late residuals payment and inadequate reporting practices." In a March 8 dated letter I have obtained, the WGA West tells the Viacom-owned network that if the multi-million dollar bond is not posted by March 25…

Los Angeles – The Writers Guild of America, West announced today that it is contributing $977,095 to The Actors Fund. The monies are specifically earmarked for emergency financial assistance needed by entertainment professionals for basic living expenses such as rent or medical bills. The Fund provides support for…

EXCLUSIVE… FINDINGS INCLUDED: The major findings of the newly released 2011 WGA Screenwriter Survey (click here for full report) are that “screenwriters believe their status in the industry has significantly deteriorated over the past several years. The most flagrant studio practices contributing to this decline…

Frank Pierson had a magical way with words, so it is ironic that the most famous movie line he ever wrote is: “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate”. Frank Pierson never suffered “failure to communicate”. That iconic phrase uttered by Strother Martin to Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke (1967) — one of Newman’s…

LOS ANGELES – The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) has announced the final slate of candidates for the 2012 Board of Directors election. There are 15 candidates nominated to run for eight open seats on the WGAW's Board of Directors, as follows: Meg LeFauve, Marjorie David, David Shore (incumbent), Terrence Coli…

Exceptional Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director Frank Pierson, who became presidents of both the Writers Guild, West, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences, died today in Los Angeles of natural causes following a short illness, according to his manager. He was 87. Gentlemanly yet…

Television writer Stephen Lord has died. The Writers Guild announced today that Lord died May 5 in his home in Sherman Oaks, CA surrounded by his family. The writer, whose real name was Stephen Loyacano, was 85.  In a career that went from the 1950's to the early 1990's, Lord worked on a wide variety of shows. His…

BREAKING… Refresh for latest… Los Angeles and New York – The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) are announcing the winners for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen during 2011. Winners will be honored at the 2012 Writers Guild Awards tonight during…

Perhaps a victim of too many participants and too little time, a panel featuring the WGA screenwriting nominees Thursday night at the guild’s Beverly Hills theater was heavy on niceties with only traces of insight. Three Moneyball writers — Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin and Steven Zaillian (who also wrote The Girl With Th…

Spike Jones Jr is returning to executive produce the 2012 WGA Awards’ West Coast show, set for February 19 at the Hollywood Palladium. The veteran producer has overseen four WGA West ceremonies, including the past two years. Also returning is talent producer Carole Propp and head writer Guy Nicolucci, who both worked…