A deal may be nearing between the Writers Guild of America and the major Hollywood studios that would end a 145-day strike that’s roiled the film and TV business and caused thousands of job losses.

Lawyers for the two sides were haggling over the details of a possible agreement on Saturday, according to people close to the discussions.

However, the union and studio alliance had not announced a deal as of early Saturday evening.

Sources told The Times the two sides hoped to finalise a deal on Sunday.

Saturday marked the fourth straight day of talks, which kicked off on Wednesday with the heads of four major studios participating directly.

Should the companies reach a pact this weekend, they won’t immediately restart productions.

The entertainment company leaders still must turn their attention to the 160,000-member performers union, SAG-AFTRA, to accelerate those stalled talks in an effort to get the industry back to work.

The thorniest issues in the long-running labour dispute have included language governing the use of artificial intelligence, minimum staffing in writers rooms and the establishment of residuals to reward scribes based on viewership of streaming series.

The work stoppage began in early May and gained momentum as actors led by SAG-AFTRA joined writers on the picket line in mid-July, further shutting down film and scripted television productions and hobbling studios’ ability to promote would-be blockbuster movies.

The apparent progress towards a deal marked a stark contrast with the last round of talks, which started in August after three months of striking.

Negotiations fell apart after a meeting with the four leading studio CEOs, which writers’ representatives described as a “lecture” and a browbeating session.

Frustration among workers, including film crew workers, continued to build as the strikes stretched beyond Labour Day.

For weeks, the two sides remained at a standstill, arguing over whose turn it was to make a counter-offer.

The writers’ negotiating committee even suggested that some studios might be willing to break from the alliance and negotiate separately with the guild, exploiting potential fractures in the alliance.

The producers’ body refuted that notion.

This week, though, talks got serious.

Studios wanted to get a deal done by early October to salvage their 2024 film slates, which would require them to be back in production soon. They’re also hoping to salvage what they can of the 2023-24 television season.

Even once a new agreement is reached, it’s unlikely that production will restart right away.

The studios will still need to reach a new contract with the actors’ group.