The Writers Guild of America (WGA) officially began the strikes in May. There has been a lot of news and media published about it. This article aims to answer any questions you may have – especially with future productions.
Why Are There Writers Strikes?
The strikes started as WGA failed to come to a satisfactory agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). AMPTP represents major film and television studios, such as Amazon Studios, the Walt Disney Company, Apple Studios, Netflix, and many more.
The writers asked for a number of changes. These consisted of working conditions, compensation, and threats to their livelihoods – one of these being AI. Writers want programs such as ChatGPT to be used only for research and not to be part of the writing process.
Most of the challenges surrounding streaming services and how these have changed how the industry operates – and their impacts on their work and wages. WGA also wants writers to have access to their own pension and health care funds.
A vast majority of guild members voted to strike if there wasn’t a satisfactory deal – which is why they have now happened.
What Are The Rules Of The Writers’ Strike?
The main principle of the rules is that “writers may not meet or negotiate with a struck company or provide writing services or sell or option literary material to a struck company.” The struck company are those that are part of AMPTP.
Some other rules include:
- Fiction podcasts for struck companies are included in the strikes and should not be worked on.
- Hyphenates, who are writers who also serve in other roles, are not to perform no writing duties whatsoever during the strikes.
- Some animations are under WGA jurisdiction, and others are under The Animation Guild. Those writing under WGA titles must stop. Others are instructed to talk to the guild about what to do.
- WGA tells its members that they must ask for any “spec” scripts to be returned or deleted.
And more – though these are the ones that will be impacting productions.
How Will The Writers’ Strike Affect Productions?
The 2022-2023 TV season was coming to a close when the strikes began, so we won’t see the impact of the strikes until the 2023-2024 releases. Series that have their scripts already “locked in” will continue to be produced. For example, Rings of Power Season 2 is well underway. House of the Dragon Season 2 will continue to be made, as this is produced predominantly in the UK. This means they can also continue. This doesn’t mean, however, the production will be seamless.
Series that have been confirmed to be impacted by the strikes include American Horror Story Season 12 and the final season of both Cobra Kai and Outlander.
These are only a few releases impacted by the strikes. There are many series, movies, and other projects which the strikes will directly impact.
As the strikes go into the third month, viewers will now feel the impact of the strikes. Most productions have ground to a complete halt. Many have been delayed, if not canceled entirely.
One of the most famous cancellations is the new adaptation of the 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis. Apple TV+ reportedly scrapped the series just as it was supposed to start filming.
Some productions have halted in support of the writer’s strikes.
How Long Is The Writers’ Strike Going To Be?
It’s unclear exactly how long the strikes will continue. Reports estimate that it will not be ending before September.
The writers’ strike and looming actors’ strike will significantly impact TV and film production, as well as the upcoming awards season.
This year at SDCC, many fans noted the lack of announcements from big names such as Marvel, Disney, and Sony. While it may not be due to the strikes, it does seem coincidental.
