ATLANTA — The Writers Guild of America officially began a strike on Tuesday, halting many productions across the country.
The unanimous call to strike comes after a six-week negotiation with Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount, and Sony. WGA said the companies’ business practices “slashed” their compensation and “undermined” their working conditions.
The last writers’ strike came in 2007, before the rise of streaming services.
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Charles Bowen, the founder of the Savannah Film Alliance, says the strike could be “catastrophic” for the Georgia film industry. Last year, 412 productions were filmed in Georgia, including movies, television shows and commercials.
‘Stranger Things,’ one of Netflix’s most streamed shows of all time, has filmed each of its first four seasons in Georgia, and was set to film its upcoming fifth and final season in metro Atlanta.
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On Saturday, series showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer, collectively known as The Duffer Brothers, announced they would not begin filming until the writers’ strike comes to an end.
“We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out,” the brothers tweeted.
Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. 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. #wgastrong
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) May 6, 2023
‘Cobra Kai,’ another Netflix series, began filming its sixth season in Georgia on April 28.
Showrunner Jon Hurwitz confirmed just hours after the strike began, and just days after beginning production, that it was “pencils down in the Cobra Kai writers room.”
We hate to strike, but if we must, we strike hard. 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. In the meantime, sending strength and… https://t.co/99UulF7HeW
— Jon Hurwitz (@jonhurwitz) May 2, 2023
The Georgia Film Commission says there are currently 34 film and TV projects being filmed in Georgia.
Many of those shows, like TLC’s ‘7 Little Johnstons’ and VH1′s ‘Love and Hip Hop Atlanta,’ are unscripted, meaning they are likely less affected than other shows.
It is unclear how many productions are being halted across the state.
There is currently no timeline for the end of the writers’ strike.
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