Think of it as Kramer vs Kramer remade by Billy Wilder. An amicable break-up turns sour as two ex-partners battle to get what they want – at a moment of crucial change in the movie business. With a superstar cast, the intriguing tale of a possible strike by Hollywood actors is gripping Tinseltown.

It started with a dramatic split. The Screen Actors Guild and the smaller American Federation of Television and Radio Artists fell out after a 27-year partnership when one discovered that the other had gone behind its back to lure away the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful . The two unions are now negotiating separately about how actors should benefit from film sales on DVD and online. The unions need to co-operate but, predictably, want different things.