Hollywood screenwriters have been on strike since May 2. The Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing more than 11,000 TV and film creators, negotiated contracts with major studios such as NBC Universal, Fox, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Company, MGM and CBS Corporation. This year, the talks were extremely difficult. The creators demanded improved working conditions and significant increases, but the Guild reported that several weeks of negotiations ended in failure.
The writers’ strike continues. What are the creators in Hollywood fighting for?
For the screenwriters, the key issue was to obtain a guarantee of permanent employment. The creators accuse the studios of exploitation and avoiding the costs associated with signing contracts other than the so-called garbage cans. They wanted to negotiate stable agreements instead of cooperation that would ensure their security even in the midst of a crisis. Financial issues were the second subject of the weeks-long discussion between the parties. Galloping inflation, the rise in popularity of streaming and the pandemic have caused creators’ salaries to drop drastically. WGA statistics indicate that the median payout has decreased by up to 23 percent. However, the screenwriters demanded not only higher salaries, but also increased contributions to health and pension funds. In addition, the creators appealed for the introduction of streaming royalties, which currently do not cover them.
After 15 years since the last major writers’ strike, another protest has begun, which can cause big losses. According to the Wirtualne Media portal, the previous rebellion of the creators lasted 100 days and cost the entertainment industry about $ 500 million. The strike was also felt by viewers of popular series, when “The Office” and “24 hours” were discontinued. The fourth season of “Grey’s Anatomy”, which was planned for 23 episodes, ended in 17 episodes. The rebellion of the creators also influenced blockbusters. Were it not for the protests of the time, films such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and 007 Quantum of Solace could have been much better productions with higher box office results.
The writers’ strike will affect the production of films and series. Some have already suffered
The consequences of the writers’ strike, which has been going on since May 2, will be immediately felt by the viewers. The first productions to suffer are live broadcasts. Deadline has confirmed that popular talk shows by Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert have been stopped. Saturday Night Live won’t be getting any new episodes anytime soon. Movies and series are next in line.
We already know today that the production of the sixth season of “Cobra Kai” has been stopped. Series showrunner Jon Hurwitz stated on Twitter that the writers had left the set. ABC’s “Mission: Elementary School”, “Big Mouth” and “Yellowjackets” (Showtime) have similar problems. Fans of the series “”, whose broadcast is safe, can breathe a sigh of relief. According to Variety, it anticipated strikes and made every effort to complete the second season of production before the beginning of May. The situation of “Good Omens” is similar. Neil Gaiman has announced that the second season of the series is already filmed, and its premiere is scheduled for this summer. However, the creator emphasized on social media that if the writers’ strike does not end by now, he will not be able to promote it as he assumed.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
