The pens have gone silent and the cameras have stopped rolling as the writers’ strike enters its second week, leaving some of Hollywood’s biggest productions in limbo. The latest casualties of the strike are two of the most anticipated projects currently in production: Marvel’s Blade reboot and the fifth season of Stranger Things.
The Stranger Things creators, the Duffer brothers, took to Twitter to express their disappointment, stating that “writing does not stop when filming begins.” Without their writers and showrunners, production on the hit series has ground to a standstill. Marvel’s Blade movie has also been shut down, with production set to resume only when the strike is over.
The strike has had an immediate impact, with live TV, including late-night comedy programs, already going dark. The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Late Night With Seth Meyers, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! have all ceased filming.
But it’s not just talk shows and blockbuster movies that are affected. The strike could cost Hollywood up to $2 billion, and networks and studios are feeling the pressure to come up with a solution.
The Writers Guild of America is calling for a fair deal for its members, which could cost Hollywood $430 million per year. However, this strike isn’t just about money, it’s about control. And until a fair deal is reached, the writers are holding all the cards.
As the strike continues, some productions, such as HBO’s Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon and Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, will continue filming without their writers. But with the potential for billions of dollars in damage to the industry, it’s clear that Hollywood needs to come to the negotiating table soon before the strike causes irreparable harm.
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In the meantime, the fate of some of the biggest franchises in entertainment hangs in the balance. Will Marvel’s Blade reboot ever see the light of day? Will Stranger Things fans be left in suspense for even longer? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: without the writers, Hollywood is at a standstill.