The Writers Guild Strike began on May 2, 2023, and the industrial action of the WGA screenwriters could dramatically alter the future of the biggest TV shows around. The Writers Guild of America is a combined US labor union that includes TV and movie writers on the East and West coasts. It is the responsibility of the WGA to protect all participants in the union and give the writers responsible for working on movies and shows across Hollywood fair compensation and rights regarding their work. However, the landscape of Hollywood has changed drastically over the years, especially since the last WGA deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers was signed — and a culmination of different factors has resulted in the 2023 screenwriters strike.The 2023 Hollywood Writers strike was brewing for a while. The WGA and AMPTP negotiate new deals every three years, with the last one being formally signed during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the negotiations went down to the wire, a new deal was reached and a writers' strike was avoided. However, no such deal was struck this time around, leading to the Writers Guild strike happening for the first time since 2007. The impact of the writers' strike has already been dramatic for Hollywood, especially when it comes to some of the TV shows confirmed to be affected while the WGA and AMPTP reach an agreement. Here's a full explanation of the 2023 WGA strike, including the shows and movies that have halted production so far.
How Long Will The 2023 Writers Strike Last?
It's ultimately uncertain when the 2023 writers strike will end, but the main issues at hand suggest that it could last for several months. According to the founder and former network executive of Bull's Eye Entertainment, Tom Nunan, one of the biggest needles that need to move for the strike to end is for streaming networks to agree to a residual system for writers. However, studios are pushing back against paying writers residuals commensurate with streaming numbers because "That would require the streamers to open up their books and share how they measure data. And the streamers do not want to open up their books," said Nunan (via Vice).
They don’t want writers or guilds to be able to stick their noses into their business and say, “Hey, my show just got a billion views. Don’t you think I deserve a raise or a bonus or something?” They don’t want to create that precedent. There are hundreds of shows that are being produced now versus dozens every year. That’s going to require a tremendous amount of accounting and transparency that the streamers just don’t even want to touch. I think there’s a world where they could reward writers by the number of episodes—maybe they get a bonus from that—or the number of years that the show is on the platform. But I don’t think they’re going to want to get into performance.
However, based on recent WGA writers strike updates, the strike could last much longer than first expected. Though rallies, marches, and picketing continue, the rising tensions between executives and the picketing writers show no signs of abating. The 2023 screenwriters strike has been going on for over two months, and there have been absolutely no discussions between the WGA and the AMPTP (via Fortune). The last discussion the two parties had was just hours before the writers' strike began on May 1, and it seems likely that they won't talk again until October (via Deadline). According to one unnamed studio executive, the studios are determined to "break the WGA."
The studio exec continued, “The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” which they predict will be around October. If that happens, the studio executive believes that writers will go directly to WGA leadership and demand they speak to the AMPTP before they lose more money, especially with Christmas around the corner. In the event that happens, the studios and the streamers believe they will have the upper hand, and the WGA will be forced to accept far less favorable terms on behalf of the writers out of pure desperation — in theory, at least.
How Close Are Studios And The WGA To Reaching A Settlement?
As the 2023 WGA writers strike continues, more and more productions are shutting down. So great is the impact that the number of productions currently happening has halved since the WGA strike happened (via LAist). The strike was originally thought to end in August, which was initially a worst-case scenario, but as August looms dangerously close, that end date seems way too ambitious at this point. The date is even more unlikely based on the unnamed studio executive's comments that the AMPTP are intentionally prolonging the negotiations and don't plan on meeting with the WGA until October. A more likely end date for the strike to end is November or even December.
The WGA still has a way to go before reaching a settlement and ending the 2023 writers strike, and there are a few obstacles too. The WGA explained that studios are trying to create a division between other unions — the Director's Guild of America (DGA) and the Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG). The WGA accused the AMPTP of trying to "divide and conquer" and that studios are "gaslighting" members of the union, making them believe the WGA is being unreasonable if the AMPTP strikes an agreement with the other unions (via Indie Wire). The WGA explained, "The essence of the strategy is to make deals with some unions and tell the rest that’s all there is."
It isn't clear how much the AMPTP has counter-offered the WGA, but the WGA has revealed that its proposals cost $429 million per year, which will end the 2023 writers strike, and called those proposals "modest," — an appraisal not many studios don't seem to agree with (via Variety). The union broke down the costs per studio. According to the WGA's estimates, the proposals would cost Disney the most at $75 million per year, then Netflix at $68 million, then Warner Bros. Discovery at $47 million, and the remaining $239 million is distributed between Paramount Global, NBCUniversal, Amazon, Sony, and Apple. Ultimately, both sides are intentionally acting stubbornly, waiting for the other to reach out first, which would essentially give the other side the upper hand.
Why WGA Screenwriters Are On Strike
The reason that WGA members made the decision to go on strike in 2023 is multilayered. Despite the narrative given by some news outlets, the dispute doesn't just come down to pay. The main sticking points of the negotiations are to do with working conditions, job security, and career longevity, rather than the specific figure on the paycheck. While salary is of course an element, it's false to suggest the 2023 WGA strike is only on because screenwriters want more money.
The security, or lack thereof, which comes with the monthly paycheck appears to be the key obstacle both parties cannot reach an agreement on. The root of the divide between the guild and studios isn't necessarily how much the writers are being compensated for shows, but the current payment and working model Hollywood WGA writers currently operate under. In layman's terms, screenwriting for TV in 2023, thanks to a number of factors like the rise of streaming, has become a "gig economy".
Screenwriters in Hollywood are finding themselves unable to create a stable life due to an overly-fluctuating income and unnecessary financial uncertainty — elements veteran screenwriters in the WGA are well aware never used to come with the territory. TV used to operate under a model where 22 episode seasons were normal, and the writers of these shows were paid per episode for their work. This has changed quite severely in recent years thanks to the rise of streaming services and binging. The result is that most streaming shows have somewhere between 6 and 13 episodes. Here are the core aims of the 2023 writers strike:
Writers having half the opportunity at most to be paid on a per-episode basis has led the WGA to ask for stronger compensation for its members in the latest AMPTP contract negotiations. To make matters worse, working on an event-level show like House of the Dragon, The Mandalorian, or Loki can mean production lasts for much longer than before. This means writers on those have to make their payments last longer than before as they work on the specific project and cannot move on to other job opportunities.
The WGA members have also outlined a Pattern of Demands for other negotiating points with this new contract that they want to meet to end the 2023 writers strike. This includes a higher minimum payment amount for the WGA members and better pension and healthcare payments. The WGA would also like the AMPTP to agree to concepts like having a set pay rate for screenwriters regardless of whether a movie releases on streaming or in theaters, as well as stopping Hollywood from abusing the concept of mini-rooms, where a small group of writers gathers for a short time before production begins to develop ideas.
While writers are on strike because they want fair pay and to simply be paid a living wage, at the same time, Netflix executives are attempting to give themselves $166 million in bonuses. That number is more than double the $68 million that the streamer would have to pay writers as per the WGA's terms. Netflix asked its shareholders to approve the bonuses, which didn't go down well, as the shareholders rejected the pay package. The WGA commented on the pay package, saying the Netflix board should "spend less time thinking of ways to pay its executive team more money."
How And Why AI Is Part Of The 2023 Writers Strike
The quick evolution of artificial intelligence also plays a huge role in the 2023 writers strike, as the 11,500 WGA members on strike are among the millions of creatives whose jobs are threatened by AI. In particular, the Writers Guild demands that the use of AI should be regulated across all projects covered by their MBA or Minimum Basic Agreement with the AMPTP. This includes agreeing not to use AI to "write or rewrite literary material" or as a source. The WGA also demands that AI cannot be trained by any MBA-covered material. The WGA reported that the AMPTP rejected this proposal, with a counteroffer of "annual meetings to discuss advancements in technology."
According to WGA negotiating committee member and screenwriter John August (Aladdin, Big Fish, Titan A.E.), the reckless use of AI threatens the WGA's control over writing credits. AI-generated scripts, even when punched up by real writers, are ultimately based on uncredited previous work. This is crucial because writing credits determine salaries and residual payments in WGA-monitored contracts for TV and movie projects. Moreover, as August explains, AI is only really capable of copying the creative process, and not creativity itself. "ChatGPT can't write a good screenplay, but it can write... eh... kind of a passable scene," said August (via Al Jazeera) "... and it's gonna have an impact on how we do our jobs."
The WGA Members Went On Strike On 05/02/23
The deadline to avoid a writers' strike was May 1, 2023, as that was the day the current WGA and AMPTP contract ended. WGA members had already voted heavily in favor of going on strike if a deal was not reached by then. This means that a continuation of the discussions will not come now that the WGA and AMPTP union leaders could not come to agreeable terms for how Hollywood should treat its writers.
WGA members voted to determine whether the union was in support of a strike. Notably, 97.9% of the members affirmed that a strike is preferred if a new contract was not reached by May 1. With the 2023 writers strike now underway, it puts more pressure on the AMPTP — which represents every major studio (Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount, and Universal), streaming service (Netflix, Apple TV+, and Prime Video), and broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) — to secure a new contract and end the work stoppage.
The tension between studios and writers in Hollywood is increasing the longer the strike goes on. On week six of the WGA writers guild strike, Lionsgate producer Ian Woolf, who is currently working in the upcoming 50 Cent series BMF, drove his car into a group of picketing WGA writers at high speed before braking at the last second. According to writer Brian Egeston, Woolf reportedly said afterward, "I was trying to scare you!" The TV producer has since been suspended by Lionsgate while an investigation into the issue is underway.
How Long The Last WGA Strike Lasted
The current Writers Guild strike comes 15 years after the last WGA strike. The 2007 writers strike brought chaos upon Hollywood once it officially began in November 2007 and left movies and TV shows without the ability to use WGA members to write episodes or entire film scripts. The last WGA strike lasted for 100 days, as a tentative new agreement between the unions was agreed upon on February 8, 2008. It was officially ratified by WGA members with a vote on February 26, which allowed the work stoppage to come to an end and let writers get back to work with a new, more favorable deal in place.
The impact of the 2007 writers' strike was sweeping across Hollywood. Unscripted content received a boost as broadcast networks were allowed to keep making them and get new content. It did not affect any shows that already had completed scripts for the new seasons or had already filmed the upcoming seasons. Late-night TV shows had to air reruns without writers to craft the jokes, while major shows like 30 Rock, Big Bang Theory, Breaking Bad, Family Guy, Friday Night Lights, Lost, and The Office had shortened seasons that only used the scripts completed before the strike began. Other shows delayed their production and release to account for the strike.
15 years later, the 2023 writers strike underscores how much streaming has changed Hollywood, and how over 11,000 of its writers have felt as though they've been left in the dust. The WGA and AMPTP are expected to continue negotiating until the above-mentioned issues are resolved. For now, the only sure thing is that the Writers Guild Strike will last as long as it needs to.
All The Shows And Movies Delayed By The WGA Strike So Far
Since May 2, 2023 — the beginning of the WGA strike — several shows and movies have canceled production, leading to indefinite delays. It's impossible to predict what shows will be affected, let alone how and when. Generally speaking, however, none of the TV shows in production are immune. The strike will impact any upcoming show that has not already written every episode for the new season. Movies with unfinished scripts will suffer delays as well, although news of delays to feature films due to the WGA writers strike may take longer to surface.
Streaming platforms have been heavily hit, especially as services like Netflix work on so many shows at any one time. Strange Things is a tent pole Netflix show that has been affected by the WGA strike, as production of Stranger Things season 5 won't begin until a fair deal is reached, as announced by series creators the Duffers on May 7. Though Netflix is reportedly the studio that keeping a fair deal from happening (via LA Times), it's the streamer's content that is being affected almost more than any other. Apple TV is also struggling due to the writers strike, as Severance season 2 ceased production after a York Studios picket on May 8.
Most movies and off-shoot studios under Disney's umbrella are also being badly affected, to the point that Disney has delayed countless movies and Disney+ shows. While the delays could be due to other circumstances, such as Avatar 3 needing more time to complete post-production, a lot of the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars releases are huge victims of the 2023 writers strike. Most notably, the Blade reboot, which has already had tons of production setbacks, suspended pre-production on May 5 due to being targeted by striking WGA writers. However, LucasFilm boss Kathleen Kennedy fully supports the WGA strike.
Other scripted TV shows, both on broadcast television and other streaming platforms like Paramount Plus, have had to put a pause on development too. Night Court, The NBC revival of the classic show, stopped filming shortly after the 2023 writers' strike began. The most recent and significant delay due to the 2023 writers strike is the second season of the Harrison Ford-led 1923. The Yellowstone prequel spin-off got millions of views for its first season, and the second season is planned to be the final part of the story. However, 1923 season 2 is delayed indefinitely, and development won't resume until the 2023 WGA strike is over.
Even though it'd be easy to assume unscripted TV doesn't require writers, that couldn't be further from the truth, and several talk shows and popular series that focus on improv have been hugely affected by the 2023 writers strike. In fact, the first big impact of the 2023 writers strike was on late-night programming, with various talk shows immediately shutting down without writers to help craft the daily shows. Saturday Night Live reportedly shut down as early as May 4. Shows hosted by the likes of Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert will not be seen for some time either.
The 2023 Writers Strike Has Sparked Even More Trouble For Studios
The WGA strike could cause a ripple effect, as SAG could enforce an actors' strike too. As SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP's meetings are well underway, spokespeople from both parties were previously positive about the talks, but actors have spoken out about not accepting anything less than what they think they're worth, and a strike is being heavily encouraged. There is a deadline for an agreement to be made between the two parties; Midnight, July 13. While the deadline has already been delayed once, the Screen Actors Guild has confirmed that it will not delay the deadline again. If a deal isn't reached by the deadline, any actor who's a SAG member will have to immediately go on strike.
An actor's strike could have even deeper ramifications for studios, as it would also mean (as the statement from SAG-AFTRA explained) that promotional activities for new shows and movies would cease too; "There’s no promotion of struck work during a strike. Promotional activities in relation to a signatory production is covered work under the Basic Agreement, and thus, is struck work during a strike." As actors have a big hand in promoting movies, they can't do that if they're on strike. That means that studios will have to risk releasing movies with less-than-stellar marketing or delay them yet again.
The Hollywood Strikes Have Disrupted Comic-Con
The WGA strike has disrupted Comic-Con too, as along with the possible SAG-AFTRA strike the studio presentations that made SDCC2022 so memorable will be hard to pull off, as no announcements can really be concrete. Multiple studios and streamers have backed out of the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con, including Disney, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, HBO, and Netflix. That means that huge news about Loki season 2, any Spider-Man-related Sony projects, House of the Dragon, and any Star Wars news won't be revealed. This is based on the fact that the studios are anticipating an actor's strike on June 13 if SAG can't reach a deal with AMPTP. If an actors strike happens, not only are actors not allowed to act, but they aren't allowed to promote upcoming projects either, which will lead to a rather starless Comic-Con in July.
Other studios are still confirmed to appear at San Diego Comic-Con, including Amazon Studios, Warner Bros., and Paramount. However, besides Warner Bros. and what the studio could reveal about its new DC Studios, the other panels aren't exactly going to draw in the hoards of crowds that Marvel Studios or LucasFilm would. Not only that but there's still time for the remaining studios to drop out too, and the confirmed studios and streamers are likely waiting to see what happens between SAG and AMPTP on June 13. If there's an actors strike as well as the Writers Guild Strike, Comic-Con might have very little to showcase beyond comic books.