Spyglass inks WGA pact

Two days after everyone found out about it, the WGA's issued the official word about its interim deal with Spyglass Entertainment.

It's the fifth such agreement the guild's signed, following deals with Worldwide Pants, United Artists, The Weinstein Co. and Media Rights Capital.

WGA West president Patric Verrone promised Tuesday that more deals were coming, making the disclosure during the guild's news conference to announce a waiver for the NAACP Image Awards.

Here's the press release --

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a comprehensive independent agreement with Spyglass Entertainment. The company finances, produces, and distributes theatrical motion pictures, including some of the most successful films of recent years, including The Sixth Sense, Shanghai Noon, Bruce Almighty, Seabiscuit, Memoirs of a Geisha, and the upcoming 27 Dresses. 

“Spyglass Entertainment can now work with the most talented writers in the business – members of the Writers Guilds,” said Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America West, and Michael Winship, president of the writers Guild of America, East, in a joint statement. “We are gratified that the company wants to move forward with us and we can continue to put people back to work.”

Spyglass Chief Executive Officers Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum (pictured above, left to right) commented, “We are thrilled to have signed this interim agreement with the WGA, and we look forward to continuing our long association with the best writers in the entertainment industry.” 

The deal reached with Spyglass Entertainment is similar to the deals the WGA recently announced with United Artists, Worldwide Pants, and MRC and addresses the issues important to writers, including New Media.