Hollywood screenwriters and studios were still deadlocked tonight, and talks are off, so Writers Guild of America could call for a strike anytime now. Writers will meet Thursday night to plan their next move.  WGA says what it has said all along: DVD residuals for writers are stingy, have opposed a producer plan to extend that rate to digital sales. “The companies refused to continue to bargain unless we agree that the hated DVD formula be extended to Internet downloads,” the WGA statement said. Studios meanwhile have maintained that online is experiment, and they need to invest, and that higher residuals on DVDs and Internet downloads would stifle growth at a time of rising production costs, tighter profit margins and piracy threats.

Reuters: WGA members may continue to work under terms of the old three-year labor pact, though a spokesman said “they will technically be working without a contract.”