After five months of the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, on September 24, WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) reached a tentative deal, which if finalized will end one of Hollywood’s biggest disputes.
The writers strike started on May 2, 2023, after six weeks of failed negotiations with AMPTP. About 11,500 members of WGA walked off the job over higher wages, the size of writing staff on shows and the use of AI in scripts.
The production of movies and shows were affected due to the strike. Some shows affected were seasons of Abbott Elementary, Stranger Things, American Dad, Andor, Bunk’d, Emily in Paris and Euphoria.
During the first week of the strike, writers began protesting the headquarters of major studios such as Netflix, Amazon, Warner Bros, Universal Studios and more.
The effects of the ongoing strike were felt by thousands in Hollywood; about 160,000 people in the entertainment industry announced in July that they would also go on strike.
Many Hollywood stars have spoken out supporting the current strike. Some Hollywood stars who were seen on the picket line for Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists are Jeremy Allen White, Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, America Ferrera, Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, Jameela Jamil, Sarah Paulson and Aubrey Plaza.
In contrast, some talk show hosts have brought back their shows in the midst of this strike and received major pushback from social media. Drew Barrymore, an American actress and film producer, announced that her talk show would resume despite the ongoing writers’ strike. This decision was met with a lot of criticism, and in a now-deleted video, Barrymore defended her choice and said that it was hers to make. However, her response only gained more backlash, which ultimately led her to apologize and respect the strike. Barrymore has decided to pause the premiere of her talk show until the writers’ strike is over.
The actors’ strike is still ongoing. Although there is an agreement between the writers and studios, an official contract hasn’t been set in place and therefore the writers’ strike is not officially over.