‘Sorry To Bother You’ Director Boots Riley On WGA Strike, Struggle, Solidarity, Sacrifice & AI – Guest Column

Given the anxious vibes in the entertainment business of late, the NBA and NHL playoffs have been a welcome throwback to happier times.

Entertainment Partners, the global payroll and production finance firm, is offering its entire lineup of Academy Training Courses free of charge during the Writers Guild strike, which is now entering its second month. The on-line courses, which normally range from $99-$199, cover a range of back-office production functions, from accounting and payroll to budgeting and scheduling.

Instagram. “We gotta move that date,” he said in the accompanying video.

EXCLUSIVE: The Motion Picture & Television Fund has seen a “significant spike” in requests for financial assistance from industry members impacted by the month-old Writers Guild strike.  

1.5% of companies who asked shareholders to weigh in on executive compensation packages having rejected the pay proposals this year. The rejection comes just days after WGA West President Meredith Stiehm sent an open letter to Netflix and Comcast shareholders calling on them to reject the pay packages in the impending vote.“Netflix’s content pipeline has been blocked, with dozens of projects that were in development or ordered to series as of May 1st unable to move forward until WGA negotiations conclude,” Stiehm wrote in the letter to Netflix shareholders.

EXCLUSIVE: With the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike entering its second month in the U.S., writers and filmmakers around the world are taking note of how these issues play out in their own countries.

was one of the first such films to be brought to a standstill two weeks ago. The true-story drama “Unstoppable” features Jerome — Emmy winner for Ava DeVurnay’s acclaimed Netflix miniseries “When They See Us” — as Anthony Robles. Robles was a three-time All-American wrestler born with one leg who nonetheless won a national championship at Arizona State.

On-location filming of scripted TV shows in Los Angeles has ground to a near-complete halt in the fourth week of the Writers Guild’s strike, according to data compiled by FilmLA, the city and county film permit office.

Kyle Bowser Recent news reports suggest Paramount Global may be considering a sale of its cable channel BET. Further reports identify media moguls Tyler Perry, Byron Allen, Sean “Diddy” Combs and a partnership comprised of Shaquille O’Neil, 50 Cent, and Kenya Barris as prospective buyers of the platform, which was originally created to offer programing targeted toward Black viewers. Each of these potential suitors is more than worthy of the opportunity to helm such a significant portal of Black imagery. Still, a greater agenda raises additional considerations and a distinctive option for ownership. Founded by Robert L. Johnson in 1980, BET has been a primary hub for Black-themed content since its inception. Johnson sold the cable channel to Viacom in 2001 for $3 billion, resulting in an infusion of capital and infrastructure expansion, to include the addition of BET+ and BET Her. The broadcast schedule is populated with original scripted and unscripted programming, as well as acquired off-net fare, with daily viewership currently hovering near 1.7 million and annual ad revenues exceeding $215 million. While the mere existence of BET has demonstrated the power of the Black economy, its celebration of Black culture further highlights its prominence and influence.

“AI ain’t gonna write Succession, or Chinatown or The Godfather,” says Jeremy Strong of what’s at stake with the writers’ strike. “It’s just not going to,” the actor who brought Jesse Armstrong’s words for Kendall Roy to life bluntly adds.

When it was first announced, “I’m A Virgo” was described as a coming-of-age tale about a 13-foot-tall young Black man finally going outside his home and integrating into the larger world. That alone is an interesting story.

Amber Dowling Last April, Sphere Media took the Canadian Screen Awards by storm with 22 awards for its scripted content, including a record 12 wins for the historical Black drama “The Porter” and seven for queer comedy “Sort Of.” It was a big night for Canada’s third-largest independent producer, and in particular for Jennifer Kawaja, Sphere’s president of scripted and feature films for English Canada. Previously, Kawaja spent decades heading up Sienna Films with her business partner, Julia Sereny, helming several award-winning projects like “Cardinal,” “Trickster” and “One Dead Indian.” The duo sold the company to Kew Media Group in 2017 and in 2020, Montreal-based Datsit Sphere snatched it up when Kew was placed into receivership. Last year, Sphere restructured and rebranded under a single banner with the intention of streamlining content creation, production and distribution.

EXCLUSIVE: Half of the 46 projects currently in the California film incentives program have submitted “force majeure” requests seeking waivers to extend their mandated start-date requirements due to the ongoing Writers Guild strike, according to the California Film Commission, which administers the tax credits program. The number of approved film and TV projects seeking force majeure delays is expected to grow as the strike, now in its 25th day, grinds on.

Another brand-defining, Best Drama Emmy-winning HBO series is coming to an end this Sunday when Succession airs its finale. Just like when each of its esteemed predecessors, The Sopranos and Game Of Thrones, ended, there is the inevitable succession question about what comes next.

LinkedIn livestream event promoting his new Netflix docuseries “Working: What We Do All Day,” the former president spoke of the importance of writers in the entertainment industry. “I know there are many studios and streamers who feel a little bit embattled and there’s been a little bit too much of a glut of product and they’re looking at their bottom line and their experiencing shareholder pressure, etc, but the fact is, is that they wouldn’t be around if it weren’t for writers creating the stories that matter,” Obama said to host Ira Glass. “My hope is that as somebody who’s really supportive of the Writer’s Guild and as someone who just believes in storytelling and the craft of it,” Obama continued, “I’m hoping that they will be compensated and the importance of what they do will be reflected in whatever settlement’s arrived at. I’m very supportive of the writers and the strike and I’m hopeful that they get a fair share of the fruits of their labor.” Obama’s statements echo those of his former Vice President Joe Biden, who earlier this month said he hopes the WGA receives “a fair deal they deserve as soon as possible.”Now entering its 24th day, the strike has continued to halt production in Hollywood.

Lionsgate CFO Jimmy Barge said the company will see little to no financial impact from a three-month WGA strike – about how long the guild’s last work stoppage lasted — and that it hasn’t factored prolonged labor action into its guidance. A strong content pipeline and large library makes the business pretty resilient, he told analysts Thursday.

Elsa Hosk has been swanning around the South of France in some truly stunning looks, delivering a level of femininity and beauty to the Cannes Film Festivities that's hard to match.First, she walked the at the premiere of Le Passion de Dodin Bouffant in an optical illusion gown that appears to be half-off, revealing silk support garments underneath.Elsa Hosk at the Cannes Film Festival. Boldly rejecting the no-necklaces trend, she also sported a diamond choker, with frosty makeup to match. Her lip liner is just a hair darker than her gloss, because you gotta have a bit of ‘90s in there, no?Hosk in Viktor and Rolf couture.What do the kids say these days? She ate and left no crumbs? The verdict: It’s a slay.Girl after my own heart, Hosk fawned over the garment on , writing, “Deeply honored to wear my favorite couture piece (for the first time on a red carpet) from the most brilliant ballgown collection by @viktorandrolf ❤️ when I saw this dress coming down their runway I was blown away by how when spinning and moving, the dress would look so surreal and beautiful and even ugly at times and not only was it breathtaking to me but also reminded me to not take fashion too seriously.

Editor’s Note: The co-creator & showrunner of Mrs. Davis, Tara Hernandez has put artificial intelligence at the core of her creativity in the just completed Peacock limited series. Today, in a guest column on the Writers Guild of American strike, the Young Sheldon writers’ room alumna takes a different POV on AI and the notion of the individual in a greater collective

Asked about the WGA strike at the Cannes Film Festival press conference Friday for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, director James Mangold said, “No movie happens without a great script, and no great script happens without writers.”

Editors note: Anthony McCarten has been nominated for two adapted screenplay Oscars, for The Theory of Everything and The Two Popes. Here he writes about AI, a big issue in the WGA talks with studios that broke down, leading to the current writers strike.