Two of Televsion’s most popular series, Stranger Things and Abbott Elementary, halted production due to the labor dispute between the Writers Guild of America West and East and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Stranger Things’ creators, The Duffer Brothers, paused production on the highly anticipated fifth and final season in solidarity with the striking writers. The duo took to Twitter to confirm that the show will be stopping development in support of the Writer’s Guild strike.
“Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out.”
The series’ exciting fourth season saw Netflix viewership set records and top the iTunes charts by including Kate Bush’s hit song Running Up That Hill.
As a result, this will likely push back the expected release date for the final season of Stranger. With production yet to truly start, there’s currently no telling how long plans might be delayed. Depending on the length of the strike, we could now be looking at late 2024 or even 2025.
Abbott Elementary
The Emmy-winning ABC sitcom airs its finale for its sophomore year on Wednesday, April 19. The writers’ room was scheduled to reconvene on May 1, the same day the WGA contract expired.
“We are demanding that this industry is one that can sustain a career,” said Abbott Elementary writer Brittani Nichols and the Los Angeles-based captain for WGA West in an interview with Democracy Now. She calls the industry a “gig economy,” where studios prioritize Wall Street, not workers. The show is among those whose writers’ room has closed.
Other shows which have halted production include Hacks, Night Court, Yellowjackets, SNL, late-night TV.
