The Writers Guild of America West announced on platform X that its negotiating committee unanimously approved a preliminary agreement with The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios. The Alliance confirmed in a separate statement on its website on Saturday that an agreement had been reached. "We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support the long-term stability of the industry," the Alliance statement said. The precise terms of the deal were not immediately released, but it is expected to include several key priorities for writers, such as better health plans and stronger protections against artificial intelligence. The union stated on X that the agreement protects the health plan for writers, builds on gains from 2023, and "helps address the challenges of unpaid work." The contract, which is a year longer than the usual three-year agreement, must be approved by the union's board and its members before final ratification. The sudden agreement was reached after just a few weeks of negotiations, a sharp contrast to the difficult contract talks three years ago, when Hollywood writers went on a historic strike that partially halted the industry. Writers at that time voted almost unanimously to adopt that agreement, which brought them higher compensation, longer engagements, and greater control over the use of artificial intelligence. The current contract was set to expire in May. Studios are simultaneously working on new contracts with union leaders representing actors and directors, whose contracts expire at the end of June. Sean Astin, president of the SAG-AFTRA union, said in an interview with the Associated Press in February that he saw signs that studios wanted to "work together as partners again." Hollywood actors also went on strike for months in 2023 seeking a better contract. The writers' preliminary agreement with the studios comes at a time when the Writers Guild of America West is facing its own staff union strike, which has been ongoing since February. More than 100 people employed in the legal department, event organization roles, and the compensation department have gone on strike due to alleged unfair labor practices, according to the Los Angeles Times. It is unclear how, or if at all, the multi-week staff strike will affect the preliminary agreement with the studios. The union announced last month that it was canceling its annual awards ceremony due to the staff union strike.