Hollywood writers picketing to preserve pay and job security outside major studios and streamers braced for a long fight at the outset of a strike that immediately forced late-night shows into hiatus, put other productions on pause and had the entire industry slowing its roll.
The first in 15 years commenced Tuesday as the 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America stopped working when their contract expired.
The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and less exclusivity on single projects, among other demands B次元官网网址� all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom of the streaming era.
B次元官网网址淓verythingB次元官网网址檚 changed, but the money has changed in the wrong direction,B次元官网网址� said Kelly Galuska, 39, a writer for B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� on FX and B次元官网网址淏ig MouthB次元官网网址� on Netflix, who picketed at Fox Studios in Los Angeles with her 3-week-old daughter. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a turning point in the industry right now. And if we donB次元官网网址檛 get back to even, we never will.B次元官网网址�
The last Hollywood strike, from the same union in 2007 and 2008, took three months to resolve. With no talks or even plans to talk pending between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios and productions companies, there is no telling how long writers will have to go without pay, or how many major productions will be delayed, shortened or scrapped.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l stay out as long as it takes,B次元官网网址� Josh Gad, a writer for shows including B次元官网网址淐entral ParkB次元官网网址� and an actor in films including B次元官网网址淔rozen,B次元官网网址� said from the Fox picket line.
The AMPTP said in a statement that it presented an offer with B次元官网网址済enerous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residualsB次元官网网址� and was prepared to improve its offer B次元官网网址渂ut was unwilling to do so because of the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the guild continues to insist upon.B次元官网网址�
The writers were well aware that a stoppage was likely. Yet the breakoff of contractual talks hours before a deadline that negotiations in previous years have sailed past for hours or even days, and the sudden reality of a strike, left some surprised, some worried, some determined.
B次元官网网址淲hen I saw the refusals to counter and the refusing to even negotiate by the AMPTP, I was like on fire to get out here and stand up for what we deserve,B次元官网网址� Jonterri Gadson, a writer whose credits include B次元官网网址淎 Black Lady Sketch Show,B次元官网网址� said on a picket line at Amazon Studios as she held a sign that read, B次元官网网址淚 hate it here.B次元官网网址�
All of the top late-night shows, which are staffed by writers that pen monologues and jokes for their hosts, immediately went dark. NBCB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Tonight Show,B次元官网网址� Comedy CentralB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淒aily Show,B次元官网网址� ABCB次元官网网址檚 Jimmy Kimmel Live,B次元官网网址� CBSB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淭he Late ShowB次元官网网址� and NBCB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淟ate NightB次元官网网址� all made plans for reruns through the week.
NBCB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪aturday Night Live,B次元官网网址� which had been scheduled to air a new episode Saturday, will also go dark and air a rerun, and the two remaining episodes in the season are in jeopardy.
The strikeB次元官网网址檚 impact on scripted series and films will likely take longer to notice B次元官网网址� though some shows, including ShowtimeB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淵ellowjackets,B次元官网网址� have already paused production on forthcoming seasons.
If a strike persisted through the summer, fall TV schedules could be upended. In the meantime, those with finished scripts are permitted to continue shooting.
Union members also picketed in New York, where less known writers were joined by more prominent peers like playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner (B次元官网网址淭he FabelmansB次元官网网址�) and B次元官网网址淒opesickB次元官网网址� creator Danny Strong.
Some actors including Rob Lowe joined the picket lines in support in Los Angeles. Many striking writers, like Gad, are hybrids who combine writing with other roles.
Speaking from his acting side, Gad said of his fellow writers, B次元官网网址淲e are nothing without their words. We have nothing without them. And so itB次元官网网址檚 imperative that we resolve this in a way that benefits the brilliance that comes out of each of these people.B次元官网网址�
The other side of his hyphenated role could be in the same space soon, with many of the same issues at the center of negotiations for both the actors union SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America. Contracts for both expire in June.
Streaming has exploded the number of series and films that are annually made, meaning more jobs for writers. But writers say theyB次元官网网址檝e been made to make less under shifting and insecure conditions that the WGA called B次元官网网址渁 gig economy inside a union workforce.B次元官网网址�
The union is seeking more compensation for writers up front, because many of the payments writers have historically profited from on the back end B次元官网网址� like syndication and international licensing B次元官网网址� have been largely phased out by the onset of streaming.
Galuska said she is among the writers who have never seen those kind of once common benefits.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e had the opportunity to write on great shows that are very, very popular and not really seen the compensation for that, unfortunately,B次元官网网址� she said.
The AMPTP said sticking points to a deal revolved around so-called mini-rooms B次元官网网址� the guild is seeking a minimum number of scribes per writer room B次元官网网址� and the duration of employment contracts.
Writers are also seeking more regulation around the use of artificial intelligence, which the WGAB次元官网网址檚 writers say could give producers a shortcut to finishing their work.
B次元官网网址淭he fact that the companies have refused to deal with us on that fact means that IB次元官网网址檓 even more scared about it today than I was a week ago. They obviously have a plan. The things they say no to, are the things theyB次元官网网址檙e planning to do tomorrow.B次元官网网址� ___
Jake Coyle and David Bauder in New York, and Krysta Fauria and Jonathan Landrum in Los Angeles, contributed.
Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press
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