In the looming contract talks between Hollywood studios and above-the-line unions, confusion around AI and issues raised by the debut of synthetic actress Tilly Norwood are certain to be key themes.

“The negotiating cycle is starting and the DGA is probably negotiating their contract within a month,” said Jonathan Handel, an entertainment and technology lawyer at Feig/Finkel. SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are also also heading into negotiations ahead of the mid-2026 expiration of their current contracts with studios and streamers, with the wounds barely healed from the dual strikes of 2023.

Norwood, whose arrival last month stirred up an industry tempest , is “a difficult situation,” Handel added, “and the union did not get anything on completely synthetic characters in the last round. S

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