Writers Strike Dominates Chatter At LA Screenings As Buyers Remain Watchful Of “Fluid” Situation

EXCLUSIVE: Sam Esmail’s years-in-the making adaptation of Fritz Lang’s classic 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis has become one of the highest-profile casualties of the growing uncertainty in Hollywood driven by labor unrest against the background of economic headwinds.

If you’re a fan of soap operas, you don’t have to worry about your favorite shows going off the air this summer amid the writers strike and the possible actors strike.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International The next season of “Bad Sisters” is slowly taking shape, even amid a writers strike. Creator Sharon Horgan confirmed that she’s currently writing Season 2 of the hit Apple TV+ series “Bad Sisters,” which will continue the story of the Garvey sisters after they successfully got rid of their toxic brother-in-law Jean-Paul (played by a deliciously evil Claes Bang). Horgan, who was speaking at the Banff World Media Festival, is likely able to continue working on the U.K.-filmed show — which she writes alongside Brett Baer and Dave Finkel — because she has a local contract in place with Apple TV+ for “Bad Sisters” rather than a WGA-governed deal. Under the current rules, U.K. writers can continue working on existing projects (under the jurisdiction of non-WGA contracts) with “struck” companies such as Apple, but can’t take on new work.

UTA, which last year acquired UK agency Curtis Brown, is opening a new office in London as it eyes further international growth.

“Pitching in Hollywood is like your head against a brick wall right now.”

William Earl Two high profile superhero series — “Daredevil: Born Again” and “The Penguin” — have halted production until the end of the writers strike, Variety can confirm. “Daredevil: Born Again” is set for Disney+, while “The Penguin” is a Max show.

Addie Morfoot Contributor At Tuesday’s New York’s premiere of Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City,” the star-studded cast had plenty to say about Hollywood’s writers strike. Scarlett Johansson, Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston and Rupert Friend revealed how they really feel about the face off between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers while walking the beige carpet at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. “Whatever happens moving forward will forever change how revenue is determined,” Johansson told Variety. “It’s a thing that has needed to happen for a long time, that we’ve been talking about for a long time, and it’s finally reached this breaking point. It’s important for all of us creatives to unite and support this massive shift so we can get over to the other side, which we will.”

Russell T. Davies addressed the U.S. writers strike for the first time at the London Screenwriters Everywhere protest this afternoon.

“Part One,” which comes out next month. Last week, Empire Magazine published an interview with “Dead Reckoning” director Christopher McQuarrie, where he acknowledged the delays and hurdles that his team’s work on the two “M:I” films have had to face.

The impact of the ongoing writers strike on the talent agencies continue. APA has laid off a number of assistants. Junior agents, primarily in the lit department, which is the most affected by the work stoppage, have been asked to share assistants, sources tell Deadline.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International CBS chief George Cheeks has said the broadcaster is maintaining a “fluid and active” approach as it curates its fall programming schedule amid month two of the writers strike. The executive, who took on his new remit at CBS just weeks before the pandemic struck in March 2020, said the streamers’ series model poses “serious challenges” for writers that the whole industry will need to “figure out” in the long term. Cheeks was speaking as part of a wide-ranging keynote session at the Banff World Media Festival in Alberta, Canada, where Paramount Global has been the most prominent studio on the ground.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International The debate around the application of artificial intelligence in the creative sector has been a hot-button issue in the writers strike, but not all scribes believe it warrants the airtime it’s so far received. Speaking on a Variety-moderated writers strike panel at the Banff World Media Festival on Monday, “The Other Black Girl” and “Swarm” writer Kara Brown said AI has been “the stickiest thing and people have been talking about it a lot, when it feels to me like this is not our biggest issue — I would like residuals.” Continued Brown: “There are other things that are more fundamental today in impacting a writer’s ability to do their job. And AI feels like something that people outside the industry can understand, and people are talking about. It sounds scary, but to me at least, I don’t think it’s close to our biggest issue.”

During the 76th annual Tony Awards, returning host Ariana DeBose addressed the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike with studios during what normally would have been a traditional song-and-dance-filled opening monologue. Instead, a planned performance written by Lin-Manuel Miranda was scrapped while the ceremony was allowed to go forward with live performances of nominated musicals and the handing out of awards, but with no scripted material.

76th annual Tony Awards, returning host Ariana DeBose addressed the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike with studios during what normally would have been a traditional song-and-dance-filled opening monologue. Instead, a planned performance written by Lin-Manuel Miranda was scrapped while the ceremony was allowed to go forward with live performances of nominated musicals and the handing out of awards, but with no scripted material.DeBose opened the show by opening up a blank script, which appeared to be no problem for the seasoned performer who danced her way on-stage to a jazzy medley of pre-existing Broadway hits, reimagined and newly orchestrated, thus not crossing the picket line of script writing, or rather, lyric writing.Macy Schmidt and Benjamin Rauhala constructed and arranged the medley after Miranda pulled the song he was working on for the opening number, in solidarity with the WGA strike.The dance and music-forward number was met with a standing ovation from the crowd, which proved that no words were needed to kick off the big night.After kicking off her dancing shoes, DeBose addressed the audience, «Well, well, well, DeBose began.

New location? No script? No rehearsal? No sweat.

The Television Critics Association has officially cancelled its upcoming summer press tour as the WGA, DGA and SAG-AFTRA are at different points of negotiating new contracts with the AMPTP.

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix’s upcoming high-profile limited series Zero Day, starring and executive produced by Robert De Niro, has become the latest project whose production has been impacted by the ongoing writers strike.

EXCLUSIVE: Add Etoile to the list. The ballet drama from Amy Sherman Palladino and Daniel Palladino, which was handed a two-season order by Amazon’s Prime Video earlier this year, is the latest series to be impacted amid the writers strike.

A Global Day of Solidarity will take place in London’s Leicester Square next week as writers from around the world join together to show support for striking scribes in the U.S.