Hollywood screenwriters' union announces strike

The Writers Guild of America (WGA), the union representing screenwriters in Hollywood, has announced a strike starting on Tuesday. The strike could have significant consequences for the US film and television industry. The union had been negotiating with studios and streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, Disney, NBC, and Sony over salaries and conditions for weeks but did not reach an agreement. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the producers' group, said they made a "generous offer," but it was not sufficient for the WGA's 11,500 members. This is the first mass strike by screenwriters in 15 years.

The Board of Directors of the @WGAwest and the Council of the @WGAeast, acting upon the authority granted to them by their memberships, have voted unanimously to call a strike, effective 12:01 AM, Tuesday, May 2.

— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) May 2, 2023

If new scripts are not written and adjustments cannot be made to scripts already in production, major film and television productions will come to a halt. Some late-night shows, including those hosted by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon, announced that they will not be able to broadcast if the writers go on strike. The WGA criticized the "intransigent posture" of producers during the negotiations in a statement.