The major Hollywood studios have told the Screen Actors Guild that if the union does not accept its final contract offer by Aug. 15, any proposed wage increases would not be retroactive, the studios said Wednesday.

The producers alliance threw down that gauntlet in its final offer, which it said included $250 million in additional compensation over three years.

If the deadline passes before the union ratifies a contract, that means the actors could lose more than $200,000 a day in increases dating to July 1, the day the new contract would take effect.

The announcement was made as the two sides appeared to be headed toward an impasse in their contract talks.

The studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, met with the guild yesterday afternoon to discuss their final offer.

The guild said Wednesday it was finalizing its response but did not comment on the deadline.

On Tuesday, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, a smaller actors union with 70,000 members, said it had ratified a three-year deal retroactive to July 1.

The Screen Actors Guild had campaigned hard against the AFTRA deal and claimed that if members approved it that would undermine SAG's ongoing talks.

The guild, which represents 120,000 actors in movies, TV and other media, said late Tuesday that its work at the bargaining table will continue, despite the ratification of the smaller union's deal. The guild represents the vast majority of work in prime-time TV and movies. Any work stoppage by its members could throw the industry into turmoil, even if AFTRA members continue working.

The guild has not called for a strike authorization vote.

(Ryan Nakashima, Associated Press)

'Dark Knight' tops in tix

Superheroes are just super for selling tickets this summer, but the upcoming "Batman: The Dark Knight" may be in a class by itself.

Online ticket-seller Fandango reports that "The Dark Knight" represents the majority -- 71 percent -- of sales, even though the film doesn't open for another week, after midnight on July 18. Theaters are continually adding wee-hour showtimes on that date, according to Fandango, some as early as 6 a.m. Friday, when many commuters are just waking up or heading out to work.

This weekend presents an unusual crowd of new films opening in wide release: "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "Meet Dave." "Hellboy" is second to "Dark Knight" sales for Fandango, at 6 percent, followed by "Hancock" at 5 percent.