Tom Cruise may not have a beard, but he does now share something in common with David Letterman: working writers. 

Days after the talk show host welcomed back his writing staff, United Artists reached its own agreement with the WGA.  The studio is partially owned the actor and his production partner, Paula Wagner; Lions for Lambs was the first movie released since Cruise became involved with the company.

The deal will not only allow projects to be taken off hold, it will help films currently in production (like Tom Cruise’s Valkyrie) to finish on time.

It is expected that the interim agreement - which does not extend to UA’s parent company (MGM) - could spark a series of deals made by other independent studios.