Randall Emmett is no longer on the Writers Guild of America West’s strike/unfair list.

The veteran producer wired $630,000 to the guild on Friday, resolving a pair of unpaid arbitration awards dating back to 2020 and prompting the WGA board to lift its sanction. latimes.com

The debt stemmed from Pump, a never-aired fitness drama that once had Arnold Schwarzenegger attached.

When the project collapsed, four writers won judgments totaling $477,000—plus interest and pension-and-health contributions—that Emmett and former partner George Furla failed to satisfy. latimes.comlatimes.com

In a statement, Emmett said, “I made the decision to personally resolve this matter because it was important to me to do the right thing.

While the obligation originated from a previous company, I felt a responsibility to bring it to a close.” latimes.com

Off the List—But Not Yet Open for Business

Removal from the list does not automatically allow WGA members to work with Randall Emmett. Neither he nor his Convergence Media Group is a guild signatory, meaning writers must still steer clear until a formal collective-bargaining agreement is in place. wga.orglatimes.com

The guild’s strike/unfair list functions as a blacklist: its 14,000 members are barred from selling or optioning material to anyone listed. Getting off that roster merely opens the door to apply for signatory status—a process that requires financial disclosures, residual guarantees and bond postings. Industry attorneys say the paperwork can take several months even for established producers.

Producer Steve Small, a frequent Emmett collaborator and president of Convergence, remains on the strike/unfair list for separate delinquencies. latimes.comlegalesedecoder.com

Scorsese Project Still in Limbo

Earlier this year the WGA specifically warned members away from Wall of White, a planned narrative feature about the deadly 1982 Alpine Meadows avalanche that lists Martin Scorsese and Randall Emmett as producers. The guild’s advisory noted that Emmett’s then-active sanction prohibited writers from working on the film. With that barrier removed, only the signatory hurdle remains; WGA representatives tell THR they have not yet received an application from Convergence. latimes.com

If approved, Wall of White would mark the third Scorsese collaboration for Randall Emmett, whose credits include Silence and The Irishman. But insiders caution that scheduling, financing and location logistics still need to align before cameras can roll.

A Reputation for “Geezer Teasers”

Beyond prestige dramas, Randall Emmett built a lucrative niche producing low-budget action vehicles—nicknamed “geezer teasers”—starring aging icons such as John Travolta, Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone. The model relies on paying a high one-day fee to a recognizable star, then shooting the remainder of the film with lesser-known actors in inexpensive locations. Critics blast the formula, yet the pictures often sell well overseas and on transactional VOD platforms. latimes.com

What the Guild’s Decision Signals

The WGA seldom removes individuals without full restitution, so the guild’s move suggests confidence that Randall Emmett has closed his accounts. Still, labor experts view the outcome as a cautionary tale: arbitration awards can accrue sizable penalties over time, and producers who ignore them risk years of lost access to union talent.

For writers, the episode underscores the importance of verifying a producer’s signatory status—not merely the absence of a strike-list designation—before accepting employment.

Next Steps for Randall Emmett

To regain full access to guild writers, Randall Emmett must submit audited financials, post residual bonds for current projects, and execute the Minimum Basic Agreement. People familiar with the process say the fastest approvals come when a producer tandems with an established studio or streaming platform already under contract. Whether Emmett pursues that route or continues focusing on non-guild, direct-to-consumer fare remains to be seen.

In the meantime, the producer insists he is moving forward. “I’m grateful to move ahead with a clean slate and remain committed to working constructively with the Guild on our upcoming slate,” he said. latimes.com