Writers’ strike threatens Globes

It looks increasingly likely that the Golden Globes will not be broadcast in its usual format next Sunday after various film stars including George Clooney, Jodie Foster and Keira Knightley (pictured) said they would boycott the ceremony if it were broadcast without an agreement with the striking Writers Guild. The NBC network, which until now had adamantly held that it will air the show with or without movie stars, may now relent in its decision, according to industry sources quoted in Variety.

Apparently, members of the Screen Actors Guild who have been nominated for Globes increased the pressure on NBC by agreeing unanimously not to cross the picket line to attend a televised ceremony.

In addition, the major PR firms that promote Hollywood's elite said in a statement that the actors who were invited to present awards would also boycott the show, unless NBC and the show's producers reached an interim agreement with the WGA. An official announcement from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which hosts the awards, is expected today.

According to Variety, if there is no broadcast, the HFPA will stage the Globes at a private party at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills - with hopes that the full complement of stars will attend. WGA officials have indicated that the guild won't picket a non-televised event.

However, the New York Times reports that NBC is still trying to salvage the ceremony by producing a completely staged show around film clips, and perhaps without an audience or stars.

So what does all this mean for the Academy Awards on February 24? Indications are that if the actors wouldn't cross the picket line to attend the Globes, they certainly won't do so to attend the Oscar ceremony if it's televised. "Can you imagine Angelina Jolie crossing a picket line? No way," one industry source told the Boston Herald.

Meanwhile, Tom Cruise's United Artists agreed yesterday to sign an interim deal with the WGA that would allow feature film writers to go back to work for the studio. According to one showbiz industry gossip column, Hollywood studio executives are not happy with the deal, as it's seen as a small, yet symbolically significant, victory for striking writers. TV and screenwriters went on strike in November, predominantly over fees for work distributed on the internet. ·