Loading ...
On September 27, 2023, the Hollywood writer’s strike came to an end after the Writer’s Guild of America came to a tentative agreement with the major film studios of Hollywood. This 148-day strike disrupted the production of many greatly anticipated TV shows and movies and has been the greatest disruption in the American film industry since 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The writer’s strike was born out of long-standing grievances: demanding protection from the use of artificial intelligence to write in their place, receiving higher royalties, and gaining more benefits. In April of 2023, the WGA voted to go on strike if the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers could not satisfy their demands. Though the AMPTP was in the midst of negotiations with major studios, they could not reach the WGA’s deadline of May 1st, which led to WGA leadership approving a strike on May 2nd.
The protest lasted nearly five months. As soon as they went on strike, writers, as well as some others in support of the strike, hit the picket lines, trying to gain support for their cause and bring about change. Studios were forced to pause film production, downsize, or even temporarily close. Writers were not allowed to write or work for any studio or meet with executive directors filming studios. Actors had to pause their filming schedule, and many joined the picketing writers to show their support. Directors were forced to delay their timeline, as they relied heavily on the scripts written by the writers. This could be displeased for viewers anticipating the release of new TV seasons or movies in production, leading to a shortage of new content for them to watch. As a result of all of these components, the strike also affected the economy, with Dana Feldman in the Forbes article “The Hollywood Strike Could Exceed $3 Billion In Economic Fallout. Here’s Why” saying that “The cost of this strike could exceed $3 billion, with Hollywood’s biggest stars joining the writers on the picket lines.”
After months of protesting and demanding a better work environment, four days of negotiations with the CEOs of Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Universal Pictures resulted in a tentative agreement, and only then did WGA leadership vote to end the strike. On October 2nd and 9th, WGA members will vote to ratify the agreement, and writers could go back to work as early as a week. The deal covers much of what the writers demanded, such as higher wages, protections against the use of artificial intelligence, minimum staffing for writer’s rooms, and higher residual payments. Many working in the film industry, such as writers, actors, and directors, are excited for this deal, and the change that it will bring to the film industry. In the CNBC article “TV and film writers prepare to return to work under new contract: ‘I am shocked by how good it is’”, Gili Malinsky relays that “‘I feel like we’re entering into a new era’ says Dylan Guerra, 29, who wrote for season three of HBO’s “The Other Two” and has multiple other projects in the pipeline. Despite the AMPTP’s early reluctance to negotiate on numerous issues, ‘we managed to get what we needed and what we wanted.’”
Viewers are also celebrating the resolution of the film strikes. Junior Kaitlin Prendergast states that she is “so excited that the writer’s strike is finally over.” Many students at CdM had some of their favorite shows temporarily canceled due to the strike, and they are excited for filming to resume after nearly five months. Junior Conner Krost is especially “excited to watch Saturday Night Live again” after its production was paused and the rest of the season canceled as a consequence of the writer’s strike. Also excited, Prendergast “can not wait for Stranger Things” to resume filming. The Netflix hit series was in the middle of planning its fifth and final season until it had to be paused when the writer’s strike began because they depended on the scripts written by the writers to film.
