Hollywood writers accept Overture

Startup studio Overture Films has signed an interim agreement with the Writers Guild of America to allow striking writers to work for the company.

The deal follows a range of pacts between the WGA and film companies including United Artists and the Weinstein Co. According to those familiar with the Overture deal, it includes similar provisions to those featured in other such agreements.

Overture -- a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp. that produces, acquires, markets, and distributes theatrical films -- launched its inaugural slate this month with the release of Callie Khouri's "Mad Money" and will release several films in the coming months, including the comic drama "The Visitor" and "Sleepwalking," starring Charlize Theron.

It also expects to enter production on a number of projects as soon as it builds up its development slate. The deal with the WGA allows writers to work unfettered for the studio.

"We've said before that if we could find an accommodation with the WGA, we would sign an agreement," Overture CEO Chris McGurk said. "The strike is good for no one, and we want to go back to work with the writers. We didn't feel we had to rush anything, but we have had conversations with the guild over the past couple of weeks and finally got to where we had something we could agree to."

McGurk said Overture has five completed films set for release in the coming months but declined to specify development projects that might benefit from the return to work of WGA writers.