Fears over a possible strike by Hollywood actors eased on Tuesday when the 120,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild voted to accept a two-year employment contract from the biggest studios.

The year-long dispute has paralysed the film and television industry in Hollywood. With the threat of a strike looming, studios have been wary of pushing new films into production. But with a deal finally struck after protracted negotiations, the studios are likely to ramp up their production schedules.