Hollywood Writers’ Union Strike: Effects on TV Series and Films

From the day when Hollywood screenwriters went on strike, last May 2, a week has passed. The union that represents them (the Writers Guild of America) has announced that they will continue the fight until they obtain results and the pickets continue outside the headquarters of the major majors gathering the solidarity of the stars from Drew Barrymore, who gave up hosting the MTV Awards, a Alex Borstein – the amazing agent Susie Meyerson of the Fantastic Mrs. Maisel – yes Amanda Seyfried (Emmy-awarded for The dropout) a Cynthia Nixonunforgettable Miranda of Sex and the city.

The strike, the first since 2007 as a result of the lack of agreement between the majors and the authors’ unions who denounce that television production has grown enormously in the last ten years with excellent revenues for the companies while their fees remained the same, had as first effect the stop of a series of daily shows like historians Saturday Night Live, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live! which from 6 May will be on the air only thanks to reruns of old episodes, but also the seriality – with its rhythmic calendar – will be affected by the strike which does not seem to end anytime soon. Thirteen years ago the strike lasted more than three months with consequences for all sectors of production. Let’s see, series by series, what the effects – to date – of the protest will be.

Stranger Things: the fifth and final season has been postponed

The world of the Upside Down is approaching the end of its story but the grand finale is postponed. Brothers Matt e Ross Duffer, the genius writer twins, have announced that production on the fifth and final season will not continue until an agreement is reached between WGA and AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers). “Writing doesn’t stop when filming begins – wrote the writers – While we are excited to begin production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. everybody get back to work. Until then – over and over again go WGA”. According to the calendar all the actors should have been on set this summer to start filming and the final chapter would then have arrived on the platform probably in 2024, this stop will certainly have an impact, as it was for the Covid emergency for the last season.

The spinoff of Game of Thrones and the second season of House of the dragon

Different destinies for the writer’s creatures George R.R. Martin who in a post on his blog yesterday gave his full support to the protest: “I’m not in Los Angeles, so I can’t participate in pickets like I did in 1988, but I want to declare my full, complete and unequivocal support for the association” , he wrote. “How long will the strike last? We have no idea. Maybe the AMPTP members will come to their senses tomorrow and offer us significant concessions, and the whole thing can be wrapped up next week. However, I wouldn’t bet on it. I’ve been through a lot since when I started writing for television and film in 1986. The 1988 strike, the first one I was a part of, lasted 22 weeks, the longest in Hollywood history. The 2007-2008 strike, the last , lasted 100 days. This could last longer. The issues at stake are important and I have never seen unions as united as they are today.” The fantasy author was currently working on the prequel spinoff of the Game of Thrones, The Hedge Knights an adaptation of the first of the three novellas published, that is the story of how Dunk & Egg met for the first time during a tournament at Ashford Meadow, while – always explained Martin – the writing work on the second season of The House of the dragon is concluded, it does not require revision so filming continues. The second season set began on April 11 and continues in England and Wales.

The rings of power, on set without the showrunners

Filming also continues on the other great fantasy saga, The rings of powernew serial adaptation of Lord of the Rings by Tolkien on set for its second season following the success of the first. From the production they let it be known that there are still 19 days left until the end of filming and for this period, until the strike ends, the showrunners J.D. Payne e Patrick McKay, who are writer and executive producers, will not be at work. On the UK set remain the show’s executive producers (such as Lindsey Weber), directors (Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper).

The sixth season of Cobra Kai

Also the sixth season of the series Cobra Kai is on break. This was announced by the co-creator of the show Jon Hurwitz who decreed “pens down” in solidarity with the battles of the screenwriters. “We hate to strike but if we have to, we strike hard. Pencils down in the writers room by Cobra Kai. No writer on set. These are not funny moments, but unfortunately it is necessary. Once there’s a fair deal, we’ll be back to kicking ass. In the meantime, forces and support to the negotiating committee”. With the sixth season ends the story of Karate Kid and the new adventure starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka for a great comeback.

Abbott Elementary: Also Quinta Brunson on the picket line

The third season of Abbott Elementary, the series set in a Philadelphia elementary school that won the Emmys, is at a standstill, it should have started on May 2, the day the strike began. Its creator, the actress and author Quinta Brunson, participated in the pickets and supports the protest. On social media she wrote: “I am a writer. I belong to the Wga. I am also on strike! I have no real power here other than to join my union to demand fair compensation for writers! No movies or series you love it is written without the writers”.