SAG-AFTRA‘s national board is recommending the guild’s latest contract with the major studios to its full membership for ratification.

The board “decisively” approved the deal, tentatively sealed earlier this month, on Monday, per the union. SAG-AFTRA did not specify how the vote shook out. Now, the membership will need to vote.

Among the provisions in the new TV/Theatrical agreement, the parties agreed to merge the SAG-Producers Pension Plan and AFTRA Retirement Fund with an additional 1% to the contribution rate effective on the target completion date of January 1, 2028. The agreement also bolsters AI protections, specifically around consent and compensation, and establishes minimum rate increases.

Additionally, the agreement builds on our existing guidelines around AI including new provisions strengthening consent and compensation and establishing new and enhanced guardrails on synthetics including:

The full summary of the tentative agreement can be read HERE. 

The actors union managed to reach a new agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers just one week into resumed talks. After negotiations began on February 9, the parties had previously paused to make way for the WGA in March. Both guild and union sources had told Deadline that they were not far off from a deal, but a few key issues — including regarding AI measures — still needed to be ironed out.

As we reported earlier, labor sources told us SAG-AFTRA has received a “sizable” contribution to its pension fund from the AMPTP. This follows the WGA, which similarly agreed to an extended-length contract with the studios and streamers last month in its own negotiations, accepting a multi-million contribution to its ailing healthcare plan. As with the WGA, there were a series of AI “guardrail” measures put in place between the SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP parties.

SAG-AFTRA has not yet released the full deal. Details are expected upon ratification.

The labor news will keep on coming as the DGA steps up to the plate. The Christopher Nolan-led organization sat down with the AMPTP May 11 to begin bargaining.

Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche says intimacy coordinators are not the sole component prerequisite for a good performance.

In a new interview with The Guardian tied to the release of her vérité documentary In-I In Motion, the Parisian-born director and performer was asked about her take on the relatively new role.

“I’ve been approached about that,” she said (with an eye roll, per the interviewer). “The vocabulary is all: ‘Are you agreeing that he touches this?’ The body becomes a puzzle!” The Queen at Sea star added she “of course” understands that safeguards can be useful for less seasoned actresses, but maintained she’s glad her film opts for a more intuitive approach. “Our film goes against what is being said today,” Binoche said with a smile. “And I like it!”

Binoche, who will soon be seen in Merci Charlotte, continued: “It’s not as simple as having an intimacy coordinator on set. When you’re in a love scene it needs to come from the heart, the guts, the need. And so if you’re thinking of the movement you’re going to do and not of the feeling, you’re in a bad situation. When you’re embodying lovers, you overcome some fears of touching bodies. You really have to go beyond your comfort zone because otherwise you become a prude and not truthful to what’s happening in life.”

The actress is among a chorus of stars veteran and new who have discussed their nuanced takes on the job, which cropped up largely in response to the #MeToo movement and numerous anecdotes from women about on-set impropriety and sexual misconduct. Recently, Florence Pugh, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Winslet, among others, have offered their thoughts on the role.

Elsewhere in The Guardian piece, Binoche weighed in on another hot topic — AI in Hollywood.

“I’m not thinking about it too much,” she said in response. “They were saying that painting was going to disappear because we had cameras, or that theater was going to die when cinema arrived. So I don’t think you should be worried. It’s called artificial intelligence. It’s not spiritual intelligence or human intelligence.”