Film and television writers in the United States began a strike yesterday to protest the compensation they receive for their work. It may take some time before the strike affects TV series and movies, but that depends entirely on how long the strike lasts.
More than 11,000 members walked out of the Writers Guild of America on Tuesday afternoon. They began walking rounds of protests in so-called picket lines at studios like Warner Bros. And Disney and Netflix.
There is a lot of protest material on the WGA/Image Writers Guild of America website
Under the WGA's strike rules, no work on television or film projects is permitted during the strike. This is the first to have a direct impact on late-night shows in America, where writers are responsible for writing topical jokes.
Series may be forced to shorten their seasons or postpone filming due to the strike. But if the strike continues this summer, the fall TV season will be postponed as well.
Moviegoers may not notice the impact of the strike until it’s over. But if the strike in America really lasts that long, movie theaters will be affected, just as they did during the coronavirus pandemic. According to American media, movies could suffer severe consequences in the last quarter of 2023 or early 2024.
The writers are astonished because they believe their compensation is not commensurate with the revenue generated in the streaming era. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents television networks, streamers and studios, said it offered “generous compensation increases” to the writers, but the offer was not accepted.
This is the WGA's first strike since 2007-2008. The work stoppage lasted 100 days, which greatly disrupted the production of many series and films.
