Today, writers put down their pens and closed their laptops after the WGA East and the WGA West called for a work stoppage. Talks between the labor group and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down at 8 PM last night.
Last month, Guild members voted 98% in favor of going on strike if no new deal is reached with studios over the lack of jobs, smaller writers’ rooms and the loss of some sources of income due to an industry shift toward streaming services.
Now writers will picket in front of studios and streamers on both the East and West coasts. In Los Angeles, picket lines will be seen outside of Disney, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, NBC Universal, Sony Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. Striking writers are expected to gather beginning at 1 PM PST.
In New York, picket lines will form in front of Peacock, beginning at 11:00 AM EST. It’s unclear what time picket lines will form in Atlanta and Chicago. In Chicago, Chicago Fire is still in production as is The Chi.
The guild is seeking a new contract that would increase pay and benefits for writers by $429 million over three years, only to receive an offer of $86 million in return.
The Guild also wants assurance that the art of writing itself is protected. The demands range from stopping projects being “written” by A.I. to the role of writers’ rooms from start to finish on TV shows.
REELated:
Reel 360 News has already covered how the strike will affect late night talk shows and daytime TV. But what about us geeks? How will the walkout affect our favorite DC and Marvel films and shows?
Many streamers have episodes already in the bank due to how far in advance they’re produced, but work on something like The Last of Us season 2, for example, has now halted.
A strike of a few weeks is unlikely to have a major impact but could still be a headache for both Marvel Studios and DC Studios. DC Studios CEO, James Gunn, is no longer able to work on Superman: Legacy, while production will also be halted on Blade‘s rewrites and the next two Avengers movies
A Marvel film such as Thunderbolts, which has a completed script, could begin production in June as planned. However, SAG-AFTRA and IATSE have promised not to cross picket lines. The DGA has been noncommital publicly, citing their agreement to continue working.
Ironheart’s premiere on Disney+ was pushed back to early 2024.
