As the writer’s strike enters its second month, the WGA is persisting with its aggressive stance to make an impact on the studios and force them to the negotiating table.
The WGA has organized on-site protests in an attempt to shut down production, including at high-profile TV series such as BILLIONS, THE CHI, and LAW & ORDER SVU as well as Lionsgate’s upcoming movie GOOD FORTUNE.
The general sentiment from many in the industry and the general public seems to be sympathetic to the writers and their cause. As a result, many actors and directors have chosen to hold off on active production.
In an article this week published by the Hollywood Reporter, a number of high-ranking studio execs were quoted anonymously as giving credit to the writers for the effectiveness of their tactics.
A single lost day of production can cost a studio $200K-$300K, so the shutdown of production across multiple sets can easily rise to millions of dollars. These losses put the studios in a somewhat weakened position, with costs escalating significantly over a long-term shutdown.