You know how in comic-book team-up stories, the good guys always get in a big fight as a result of some misunderstanding but then realize that they need to band together to stop some crazy villain? It turns out that in the clash between the Writers Guild and the major studios, the villains may actually be Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and every other enormous star capable of commanding revenue-draining participation deals. According to a report by Global Media Intelligence and Merrill Lynch, the executives at the major studios may be speaking some truth when they insist that there's not much money left to share with the striking screenwriters. In fact, given just how much money ends up lining the pockets of A-list stars even when their films tank at the box office, we should all be grateful that there's any cash left in circulation at all. —Matthew Perpetua

Screenwriters Seek Bigger Slice of Half-Eaten Pie [NYT]