HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTIONS PUT ON PAUSE

The U.S. entertainment industry is huge, making an ongoing strike by the writers of television/movie/streaming content so prominent in our society this month.

On May 2, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The union represents 11,500 writers and without them, new shows can’t begin filming, while others are put on pause.

Every three years, the WGA negotiates new contracts for their writers, but this time the negotiations were expected to be long, and be tough. As of Advocate press time (May 11), there is still being reported a big gap between what the writers are asking for and what the studios are willing to offer.

Both sides say that the other needs to make the first move to start talks again, leaving the strike at a standstill.

Writers want to secure improved compensation. Residual pay is a type of royalty on reruns and other showings, and the writers are fighting for more of it, claiming that better pay is critical for middle-class (modestly paid) writers. These content producers have been upended by the streaming industries and claim they should be getting this royalty, since those platforms are where a lot of TV series are being played and then replayed now.

Writers are further arguing that streaming services have disrupted their working conditions. Shows that premiere on streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and more usually have eight-to-12 episodes per season, and typically the entire season will drop all at once. That is unlike traditional (broadcast) TV shows that often have over 20 episodes per season and drop once a week (or, at least, on a regular schedule and not all at once).

The writers also are fighting so-called mini-rooms, calling it “abuse”. One example of a mini-room is a small group of writers who have been hired by studios before the show is approved to start filming. The studios use that as justification to pay the writers less, because is it not a formal “writer’s room.” Sometimes the writers work for about 10 weeks (about two-and-a-half months), then are forced to look for the next writing job quickly.

Due to the writers’ strike, many shows and movies are being affected. Late-night shows such as “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” are shutting down. “The Daily Show,” which airs on the Comedy Central network, is going to be airing repeats. NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” also shut down last week, before former cast member Pete Davidson was able to host an episode.

Shows on streaming platforms have also shut down filming due to this strike. Netflix’s hit show, “Stranger Things,” that first arrived in July 2016, has postponed filming for its fifth and final season. This production delay will mean there will be a bigger gap between season four and five. This is something that the cast and crew is no stranger to (!), considering they had to delay production due to the pandemic back in 2020.

This strike is also taking a toll on Marvel Studios, which shut down production on “Blade,” the franchise update scheduled for 2024, starring Mahershala Ali. The studio will restart production once the strike is over – which might not be very soon.

The last time WGA was on strike was in November 2007. The stoppage lasted until February 2008 and cost the entertainment economy an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion. And it is anticipated that this current dispute could also remain at a standstill for another three months.