“Outrageous They’ve Said Nothing”: Showrunners Set Meeting Today On Israel Attack As Ire Over WGA Silence Grows
20.10.2023 - 18:55
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: The Writers Guild of America still hasn’t said anything publicly about the savage attack on Israel by terrorists on October 7, but a number of irate showrunners and others will be discussing that silence today.
Almost a week after dozens of high-profile WGA members put out an open letter reprimanding guild leadership for “when terrorists invaded Israel to murder, rape, and kidnap Jews… the Guild stayed silent,” the Guild members are getting together to say something more, virtually.
“The Guild wants this to go away, but we aren’t going away, it is outrageous they’ve said nothing, absolutely outrageous,” one individual who plans on joining Friday’s meeting told Deadline this morning.
Chaired by American Soul creator Jonathan Prince, a Zoom meeting is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PT today to discuss why the WGA has been totally silent about Hamas onslaught against the Jewish state, which has left over 1,400 dead and thousands injured. Deadline has seen the invite list, and it’s full of big and outspoken industry names.
With around 90 participants expected a number of the signatories to the open letter of last week are invited and have RSVP’d. Sacha Baron Cohen, Mad Men creator Matt Weiner, Jerry Seinfeld, Eli Roth, Amy Chozick, Billions boss Brian Koppelman, Susannah Grant, Steven Levitan, Aline Brosh McKenna, Le Brea’s David Appelbaum, Scott Frank, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Jenji Kohan and many others, including Jonathan Prince, put their names on the open letter.
One of those also invited to participate in Friday’s virtual meeting is The Americans co-showrunner Joel Fields. “The Writers Guild has failed us deeply,” Fields said onstage at Variety’s Hollywood and Antisemitism conference on October 18. “For an