Here’s every film and TV show affected by the writers’ strike

11 May, 2023

Stranger Things

The 2023 Writers Guild Of America (WGA) strike has been in effect for more than a week now, and its impact has been keenly felt on upcoming films and TV shows.

The WGA strike, which began on May 2, occurred following unsuccessful negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), who represent major Hollywood studios like Netflix, Disney, Apple, Amazon, Paramount, Warner Bros. and others. On the WGA side, writers are seeking better pay, streaming residuals, safeguards against AI technology that threaten to replace their work, among other issues amid the rise of streaming services.

Since the strike was announced, a number of films and TV shows have shut down production in solidarity – or because they can’t move forward without the involvement of writers. While it’s unclear how long the strike will last (it’s been over a week at the time of writing), here are all the projects which might be pushed back in the release calendar.

Stranger Things season five

On May 6, show creators Matt and Ross Duffer announced production on the final season of Stranger Things had been paused until a “fair deal” was reached. “Writing does not stop when the filming begins,” they wrote. “While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then – over and out.”

Severance season two

According to Deadline, production on the second season of Severance shut down in New York on May 8. Along with returning stars Adam Scott and Patricia Arquette, the second season stars newcomers Gwendoline Christie, Bob Balaban and Merritt Wever.

Saturday Night Live

SNL officially went dark on May 2, which cancelled Pete Davidson’s anticipated return to the show as host, along with musical guest Lil Uzi Vert. NBC will air repeats “until further notice”. The season finale was previously scheduled for May 28.

US late night talk shows

The biggest late night talk shows have all gone on hiatus, including Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night With Seth Myers. Others airing repeats include Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and The Daily Show on Comedy Central.

Blade

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios has shut down pre-production on Blade starring Mahershala Ali. It was set to begin filming in Atlanta next month.

Daredevil: Born Again

As reported by Deadline, production on the Marvel reboot and continuation of Daredevil starring Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio has been suspended. Filming on the show was taking place in New York when it was affected by a targeted picketing campaign.

Andor
Cassian Andor is taken to his cell. CREDIT: Lucasfilm/Disney

Andor season two

Showrunner Tony Gilroy released a statement confirming he had “discontinued” all writing and non-writing work on Andor season two. “I discontinued ALL writing and writing-related work on Andor prior to midnight, May 1,” Gilroy said. “After being briefed on the Saturday showrunner meeting, I informed Chris Keyser at the WGA on Sunday morning that I would also be ceasing all non-writing producing functions.”

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight

George R.R. Martin confirmed in a blog post that the writers room had been paused on the upcoming Game Of Thrones spin-off. “I am not in LA, so I cannot walk a picket line as I did in 1988, but I want to go on the record with my full and complete and unequivocal support of my Guild,” he wrote. “How long will the strike last? No idea. Maybe the AMPTP members will come to their senses tomorrow and offer some meaningful concessions, and the whole thing can be wrapped up next week. I would not bet the ranch on that, however.”

Hacks season three

Showrunner Jen Statsky confirmed filming on Hacks had been halted. “We are devastated to not be with our incredible crew and cast right now, but there was no other option here,” she wrote on Twitter. “Writing happens at every stage of the process – production and post included. It’s what makes shows and movies good. It’s what makes them possible.”

Yellowjackets season three

After one day in the writers room, showrunner Ashley Lyle announced Yellowjackets had ceased writing on the third season. “Well, we had exactly one day in the Yellowjackets S3 writers’ room. It was amazing, and creatively invigorating, and so much fun, and I’m very excited to get back to it as soon as the WGA gets a fair deal.”

Loot season two

Maya Rudolph’s Apple TV+ series has paused production following WGA picketers at its filming location in Bel-Air, as reported by Deadline.

Abbott Elementary season three

After it was renewed earlier this year, Abbott Elementary season three has been put on hold, as announced on Democracy Now! by show writer Brittani Nichols, which could change the amount of episodes planned for the next season. “It could change a lot of different things because there won’t be things going into that pipeline,” Nichols said.

Cobra Kai season six

Co-creator Jon Hurwitz confirmed the Cobra Kai writers room had been shut down on Twitter. “We hate to strike, but if we must, we strike hard,” he wrote. “Pencils down in the Cobra Kai writers room. No writers on set. These aren’t fun times, but it’s unfortunately necessary. The moment a fair deal is in place, we’ll get back to kicking ass.”

The Handmaid’s Tale season six

Co-showrunner Yahlin Chang told Reuters that writing had stopped on The Handmaid’s Tale due to the strike. Filming was expected to start later in the summer.

American Horror Story: Delicate

Production on the next season of American Horror Story, titled Delicate, has also been affected by the ongoing strikes. WGA members picketing in New York shut down production at SilverCup Studios, according to writer Kaitlin Fontana.

And plenty of others…

Other shows affected include Billions, Netflix’s Unstable, The Venery Of Samantha Bird, a drama series from Ava DuVernay, P-Valley, Evil season four and Wonder Man.

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