As the 100th day of the WGA writers strike looms, there's a faint glimmer of hope as the AMPTP, which represents the major Hollywood studios, has finally expressed their willingness to reopen negotiations with the Writers Guild of America. The talks are set to resume on Friday to try to hammer out a satisfactory resolution to the crippling entertainment industry shutdown which began on May 2.

The Writers Guild sent an email to its members on Tuesday evening informing them of the movement. The message read: “The AMPTP, through Carol Lombardini, reached out to the WGA today and requested a meeting this Friday to discuss negotiations.”

It continued, “We’ll be back in communication with you sometime after the meeting with further information. As we’ve said before, be wary of rumors. Whenever there is important news to share, you will hear it directly from us.”

It was signed by the WGA Negotiating Committee, which includes writers such as Mike Schur (creator of The Good Place) and David Shore (creator of The Good Doctor).

Hopefully they're both good negotiators as well and Hollywood can find an end to at least one of the major guild strikes currently bringing the industry to a standstill. Actors from the SAG-AFTRA union joined writers in striking against the Hollywood studios on July 14th. The guilds have many similar, overlapping issues — many stemming from the rise of streaming as a primary means of viewing and the changes studios have made to cut production costs as a result. Both guilds are also concerned with including guardrails against the use of AI in the creative process. Obviously there is much to work out and no deal is in place yet, but it's a positive sign that the studios are at least willing to negotiate again.

Note: Josh Silverstein is a TV writer and member of the WGA, West.