WGA Strike: ‘Evil’ Production Shut Down By Picketing Writers; Season 4 Wraps Early

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.

Striking writers in New York made a bid on Monday to disrupt work on American Horror Story by picketing outside a production facility in Queens where the popular FX series known for its macabre plot lines and star-studded casts is filming season 12.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy showed support for the writers strike while attending the Cannes press conference for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Kennedy has been a producer on the Harrison Ford-led franchise since its first installment. “When it comes to acknowledging the importance of writing, I think everybody up here has demonstrated that you can’t do any of this without great writing,” Kennedy said. “You can’t do any of this without great writing. All of us who create anything…I am in full support and I know most people are in full support of the writers getting what they deserve.” Kennedy said she’d like to see the strike resolved “in an environment where people can talk about what are some really complicated issues that are effecting the entire industry,” but it’s “going to take time.”

Matt Reeves’ Max series The Penguin has become latest high-profile TV production to be disrupted by WGA-organized picketers.

Refresh for updates Amid all the noise here at the Cannes Film Festivals about festival sexual predators, Johnny Depp’s return in Jeanne du Barry tonight and the admitted assaulting history of that movie’s director Maiwen; the WGA Strike is not forgotten.

EXCLUSIVE: Showtime’s hit drama The Chi, which films entirely in Chicago, has paused production on its upcoming sixth season, effective today. The decision was made Monday after a second consecutive day of shooting was disrupted by WGA strike-related picketing.

Bad Sisters creator Sharon Horgan has joined the writers strike for her U.S. projects, but is continuing to work on Season 2 of the Apple TV+ series.

The writers strike has shut down a slew of TV series. Behind the statistics, there is a lot of heartache as every show is someone’s creation and every suspension affects a lot of people involved in it.

“The Little Mermaid”The Dolby Theatre, HollywoodUnder the sea and back to Hollywood in a whole new way! At the world premiere of Walt Disney’s live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” a crowd of excited fans helped make the atmosphere electric, cheering on the stars and their friends who walked the blue carpet. Adorned with shimmering seashell decorations and with the sounds of Caribbean music filling the air, the joyful feeling immersed everyone in the world of the film.“The Little Mermaid” herself, Halle Bailey, wowed in a shimmery sea-blue gown that evoked Ariel, while Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Art Malik, Awkwafina and director Rob Marshall gathered for the celebration. TheWrap caught up with Melissa McCarthy (who plays the much-loved musical’s iconic octopus villain Ursula), to discuss the backlash that African-American star Bailey experienced when cast as Ariel, who is white in the animated classic.

Check back for updates... What shows are the latest to be impacted by the WGA strike?

A targeted picketing campaign by the WGA East has made a significant impact on the New York set of Daredevil: Born Again; Deadline has learned from a source on the show that production has been suspended for the rest of the week.

For the second time in a week, the Writers Guild of America has shuttered Billions.

tweeted a selfie at the New York picket lines captioned “Let’s do this.”Odenkirk and Patinkin also posed together for a photo, which the latter captioned with: “Saul’s unite.” In addition to Odenkirk’s work as Saul Goodman, Patinkin is also known for playing a character named Saul in “Homeland.”Saul’s unite! #wgastrong Support our writers! pic.twitter.com/VdyElwh7C5Adam Scott, who can most recently be seen in “Severance,” also joined the picket line. Ran into Mandy Patinkin, Bob Odenkirk, and Adam Scott on the WGA picket line.

As you have no doubt already heard, the WGA is on strike right now. Just over a week into it, this strike has already caused quite a few disruptions, with productions being halted and development coming to a standstill.

EXCLUSIVE: The writers are organized. There have been thousands of writers picketing outside of the traditional Hollywood studios from Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros. as well as the tech upstarts Netflix and Amazon.

When are things not strange in Hollywood? Should we be surprised that there is always some industry or world crises crashing an awards season? Probably not, but it’s been quite a long time since a work stoppage affected the Primetime Emmy Awards. And, as we’ll discuss later, that means while writers form picket lines, actors and directors are still engaged in that Emmy nomination fight.

EXCLUSIVE: Disney Channel’s longest-running live-action comedy series Bunk’d is the latest casualty of the WGA strike. Production on Season 7 of the hit series has been halted due to the writers strike, Deadline has confirmed.