WGA/SAGAFTRA Strike Discussion Thread | SAG Ratifies Contract

[Porthos]

 

Quote

According to sources, the flagship Disney+ series will likely push the start of production for Season 4. While not officially announced, a fourth season has been fully expected; series creator Jon Favreau confirmed earlier this year that the scripts for the new installment had all been completed.

 

I hear filming on Season 4 of The Mandalorian has been slated to begin in September. While there is some breathing room, I hear filming will likely be delayed. A rep for Lucasfilm had no comment.

 

During a WGA strike, there is no writer present on set. Additionally, picketing often interrupts production as teamsters and crew members refuse to cross, which is what recently happened with fellow Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again. The writers strike, which started May 2, is entering its third week.

 

Shocking.  Shocking, I say.

Edited May 16, 2023 by Porthos

[WorkingonaName]

There was a season 3?

[Porthos]

1 hour ago, WorkingonaName said:

There was a season 3?

 

 

Spoiler

Yep.  Def adding this one to my rotation.

 

(at least for a while )

 

[Jayhawk the Hutt]

If the directors and/or actors go on strike, that will probably resolve all of this a lot quicker than it otherwise would and more in favor of the unions. Not sure the odds of those strikes happening, but it wouldn't shock me if it happened. Seems like a scenario where it would be set up to happen.

[filmlover]

I have a feeling they'll be quick to resolve any issues with DGA and/or SAG-AFTRA since those unions are taken a lot more seriously than WGA is (though if both of those are resolved, I imagine the issues with WGA will be resolved too). The last thing anyone wants is another industry-wide shutdown on par with the early days of COVID.

[Dementeleus]

Love THR carrying the studios’ water. 🙄

 

(Also, what a shit schedule.)

 

 

[Jonwo]

3 hours ago, filmlover said:

I have a feeling they'll be quick to resolve any issues with DGA and/or SAG-AFTRA since those unions are taken a lot more seriously than WGA is (though if both of those are resolved, I imagine the issues with WGA will be resolved too). The last thing anyone wants is another industry-wide shutdown on par with the early days of COVID.

I agree, Covid was an unique situation not faced by Hollywood since probably WWII or The Spanish Flu whereas Industrial action is both preventable and has an end date.

[grim22]

19 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

Love THR carrying the studios’ water. 🙄

 

(Also, what a shit schedule.)

 

 

 

Does "strike-proof" mean "audience friendly" though? I realize production costs are lower but unless there's a huge celebrity or some mega scandal, reality TV ratings aren't exactly huge either, and advertisers look at it as second-rate programming which means it fetches much less ad revenue due to lower 30second costs.

[Jonwo]

It's good that the WGA has agreed not to picket the Tony Awards because it wouldn't be fair on Broadway and also doesn't make sense because theatre is not the same as TV or film. 

[Eric Prime]

29 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

Love THR carrying the studios’ water. 🙄

 

(Also, what a shit schedule.)

 

 

Genuinely baffled at The Golden Bachelor. Who is interested in watching seniors find love in a stupid reality show competition?

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

Wow, ABC brought back Dancing with the Stars to the network (it was just relegated to Disney+ last year) and they're finally doing the senior Bachelor season (the first casting call went out in January 2020). This strike has given new life to some aging reality franchises.

 

That schedule leans hard on reality/sports. Is calling it strike-proof inaccurate? I suppose a more neutral way to report that would be something like, "ABC Goes Unscripted For Fall 2023". But I think people who are going to post negative social media replies about the writers/strike would do that anyway, regardless of how the trades word their headlines. Twitter is full of pro-corporation types who hate labor actions, their replies even get pushed to prominence now. The trades are probably playing both sides with their headlines to score clicks.

 

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by BoxOfficeFangrl

[Dementeleus]

52 minutes ago, grim22 said:

 

Does "strike-proof" mean "audience friendly" though? I realize production costs are lower but unless there's a huge celebrity or some mega scandal, reality TV ratings aren't exactly huge either, and advertisers look at it as second-rate programming which means it fetches much less ad revenue due to lower 30second costs.

I also saw a writer point out that game shows are union writers so maybe not as “strike-proof” as they think. 

 

28 minutes ago, BoxOfficeFangrl said:

Wow, ABC brought back Dancing with the Stars to the network (it was just relegated to Disney+ last year) and they're finally doing the senior Bachelor season (the first casting call went out in January 2020). This strike has given new life to some aging reality franchises.

 

That schedule leans hard on reality/sports. Is calling it strike-proof inaccurate? I suppose a more neutral way to report that would be something like, "ABC Goes Unscripted For Fall 2023". But I think people who are going to post negative social media replies about the writers/strike would do that anyway, regardless of how the trades word their headlines. Twitter is full of pro-corporation types who hate labor actions, their replies even get pushed to prominence now. The trades are probably playing both sides with their headlines to score clicks.

 

 

The trades make their money off studio and network advertising — they’ve always been very studio-friendly and always will be. 

[Jonwo]

41 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

I also saw a writer point out that game shows are union writers so maybe not as “strike-proof” as they think. 

 

The trades make their money off studio and network advertising — they’ve always been very studio-friendly and always will be. 

Gameshows questions are often written months in advance though so they won't feel the immediate impact unlike say a scripted show.

 

 

 

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

1 hour ago, Plain Old Tele said:

The trades make their money off studio and network advertising — they’ve always been very studio-friendly and always will be. 

Fair point. Still, I don't necessarily see every trade headline that says, "Here's how the TV/movie schedule is changing now that there's a writers' strike" as the trades blaming the writers per se. Others view headlines like that as antagonistic and pro-studio (for example, the stories of this May's canceled SNL episodes). But it can also depend on the wording/framing.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Eric Toretto said:

Genuinely baffled at The Golden Bachelor. Who is interested in watching seniors find love in a stupid reality show competition?

People who used to watch The Bachelor (it started in 2002) but have aged out of relating to twentysomething aspiring influencers finding love? Fans might want to see how they change up the show's usual formula. Family members appear on the main show, sometimes in multiple episodes. One Bachelor's mom got a verified Instagram account and started doing Cameos on the side. The Golden Bachelor producers will probably throw in some prior Bachelorette's divorced mom, widowed granddad, etc. who's been onscreen before to keep the fans engaged.

Edited May 16, 2023 by BoxOfficeFangrl

[dudalb]

4 hours ago, Jonwo said:

It's good that the WGA has agreed not to picket the Tony Awards because it wouldn't be fair on Broadway and also doesn't make sense because theatre is not the same as TV or film. 

No reason for them to, they have no quarrel with Broadway.

And for a WGA member to write for the stage is not a vioilation for the stage..unless he tries to sell the play to the studios.

WGA is not going to don aything to lose sympathy with other creative artists.

[Dementeleus]

Solid look at the lousy political and corporate decisions that brought us to this point:

 

https://open.substack.com/pub/mattstoller/p/can-a-writers-strike-save-hollywood?

[filmlover]

I don't see anything wrong with, say, the reports of who would've hosted the last episodes of SNL this season had the strike not occurred. If anything, it just confirms who to expect to host next season when the show comes back.

 

Meanwhile, Sony just pushed a few movies that were supposed to come out this year to 2024 as likely date fillers in the event the strike would last a while, but they were movies that haven't begun their official marketing campaigns yet and weren't spotlighted at CinemaCon (gotta feel bad for Harold & the Purple Crayon though lol - was supposed to come out back in January originally and is clearly finished since it has its rating and now won't be seen for another 15 months). Basically everything that was highlighted at CinemaCon dated for this year is clearly safe with the possible exception of Ghostbusters (which is still filming, everything else is either completed or in post).

[Jonwo]

6 hours ago, filmlover said:

I don't see anything wrong with, say, the reports of who would've hosted the last episodes of SNL this season had the strike not occurred. If anything, it just confirms who to expect to host next season when the show comes back.

 

Meanwhile, Sony just pushed a few movies that were supposed to come out this year to 2024 as likely date fillers in the event the strike would last a while, but they were movies that haven't begun their official marketing campaigns yet and weren't spotlighted at CinemaCon (gotta feel bad for Harold & the Purple Crayon though lol - was supposed to come out back in January originally and is clearly finished since it has its rating and now won't be seen for another 15 months). Basically everything that was highlighted at CinemaCon dated for this year is clearly safe with the possible exception of Ghostbusters (which is still filming, everything else is either completed or in post).

I think Harold was always going to be delayed even before the strike, being close to release without a single trailer a month and a half was a big red flag. 

 

[ZattMurdock]

9 hours ago, Plain Old Tele said:

Solid look at the lousy political and corporate decisions that brought us to this point:

 

https://open.substack.com/pub/mattstoller/p/can-a-writers-strike-save-hollywood?

I don’t like being a pessimist. But I’m afraid that the strike and we as people might be one year too late. I’ve been seeing some stuff that A.I. is doing both mimicking art (namely stealing other artists styles and etc) and writing that is batshit insane. Not sure if any regulations will be anything more than a band-aid.

 

Kinda haunting thought, but Skynet is already here. And I’m only half joking.

[poweranimals]

When does the DGA do their renogotiations?