The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) will resume talks with movie studio bosses next week (03Feb09) in a bid to end a dispute over royalty payments.

Officials at the union fired their chief negotiator, Doug Allen, earlier this week (26Jan09), blaming him for months of stalled contract talks with studio heads.

The 120,000 SAG cardholders have been without a film and prime-time TV contract since their old labour pact expired in June 2008, after negotiations collapsed and the studios presented what they called their "final" offer.

The threat of a walkout by members has been hanging over the industry since the contract's end, but the SAG leaders are now ready to restart negotiations with film bosses.

John McGuire will replace Allen when he meets with studio representatives on Tuesday (03Feb09) for a two-day discussion at the California headquarters of The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.