New Delhi

The months-long strike of the Writers Guild of America has been officially called off. The strike had literally paralysed Hollywood these past few months. The leaders of the guild accepted a pay deal hammered out with production studios.

The powerful writers' union's board of directors "voted unanimously to recommend the agreement," it said in a statement, adding "the strike ends at 12:01 am" Los Angeles time on Wednesday.

The union's 11,500 members will have the final say on whether or not to accept the offer, with a vote to take place between October 2 and 9, the group said.

Theoretically, the deal can still be rejected by the screenwriters, but most industry experts believe the ratification will be a formality and work on paused TV and film projects can restart while the process is being completed.

Thousands of film and television scribes downed their pens in early May over demands including better pay, greater rewards for creating hit shows, and protection from artificial intelligence.

They have manned picket lines for months outside offices, including Netflix and Disney, and were joined by striking actors in mid-July, leaving a normally busy Hollywood lot all but vacant in a dramatic show of force.

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Also read: Explained | Hollywood writers' strike nears its end: What happens now?

Five days of intensive talks between the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, culminated Sunday. Industry watchers expect it will be welcomed by the membership.

Even if the deal is approved, Hollywood will be far from normal. The actors - represented by the SAG-AFTRA union - are still on strike and refusing to work.

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A resolution to that stoppage is expected in time. With hundreds of film and television shoots backed up, it could still take months for Hollywood to clear the logistical logjam and get fully back to work.

(With agency inputs)

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