Hollywood is at a standstill right now! Most productions have stopped with the writers' and actors' guilds on strike. So, what does that mean for your favorite TV shows and movies? Let's find out.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live was one of the first shows to go dark in support of the writers' strike. Former cast member Pete Davidson and musical guest Lil Uzi Vert were set to appear on the May 6 episode.
This latest strike isn't the first time Studio 8H put things on hold. The live comedy show stopped filming during the 1981, 1988, and 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strikes. With this latest strike, there were still three episodes due to air, with Davidson, Kieran Culkin, and Jennifer Coolidge set to host the iconic show.
Deadpool 3
Another superhero who will have to wait is Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool. Deadline announced that sources confirmed production was paused on the franchise's third film once SAG-AFTRA announced a strike. While not much information about the plot of the highly-anticipated film has been released, a few familiar faces are set to return.
Hugh Jackman will be reprising his legendary role as Wolverine. The last time he was on screen as Wolverine was in 2017 in Logan. Jennifer Garner will also return to the Marvel universe as Elektra, which she played in 2003's Daredevil. Other familiar faces set to return include Karan Soni, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, and more.
Big Mouth
In April 2023, only a few weeks before the writers walked out on strike, the beloved raunchy Netflix comedy was in the middle of writing its eighth and final season. The eighth season was a major milestone, with Big Mouth becoming the longest-running original series, apart from any kids and family programming.
However, when the WGA declared a strike, all writing was paused. According to Variety, the team was six weeks into writing the show's final season and would have completed their work in August if the strike hadn't happened. Fans will have to wait to see how the coming-of-age comedy finishes its story.
House of the Dragon
The writers' strike in Hollywood has reached far and wide, but the land of Westeros seems undisturbed for now. The second season of the fantasy epic House of the Dragon, based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, reportedly completed all of its writing for the season when the strike was announced.
Per Variety, showrunner Ryan Condal is still working on set in a non-writing capacity. But what about the actors' strike? According to Entertainment Weekly, local regulations in the United Kingdom differ from the United States, allowing the production to continue filming. What about other shows set in Westeros?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight
Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a little longer for the latest Game of Thrones spinoff to reach their television screens. Author George R.R. Martin wrote on his blog that the writer's room for the spinoff series has closed. He continued, "Ira Parker and his incredible staff of young talents are on the picket lines."
The Hedge Knight is based on the Dunk and Egg novellas, which take place in the land of Westeros about 90 years before Ned Stark welcomed Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister to Winterfell. The stories follow the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall, Dunk, and Aegon V Targaryen, Egg.
Blade
Fans had been waiting a long time to see Blade return to the screen, and it looks like they will have to wait a little longer. Marvel has shut down pre-production on the reboot starring Mahershala Ali, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Delroy Lindo. The movie was supposed to start filming next month for its September 6, 2024 release.
This wasn't the first time the vampire hunter had been delayed by ongoing issues. The film was pushed when the original director left the project two months before the intended start date. Only weeks before the strike was announced, True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto joined to rewrite the script.
Late-Night Talk Shows
Some of the first productions to be affected by the strikes were the late-night talk shows. Immediately after the WGA commenced their strike, all the late-night shows started announcing their hiatuses, including Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and more.
The late-night hosts have joined together to support the writers and actors by appearing on the picket lines. During the 2007-08 strike, the late-night hosts got crafty with how to spend their time. Conan O'Brien spun his wedding ring on his desk during Conan just to pass the time. Hopefully, things won't get this bad again!
Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts is another Marvel universe film that was put on pause amid the ongoing strikes. The film is about a team of Marvel characters, like the Avengers, who band together, except these superheroes are more antiheroes. A few of Marvel's shadier favorites will be featured.
The characters include Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier, Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and more. The hope is to resume production once the strikes are over, but only time can tell when that will be.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Luckily for those wanting to visit Middle-earth, they will be able to do so. The Amazon Prime Video series continued filming when the WGA strike was announced. While non-writing executives oversaw the remaining production days, writers who were in Los Angeles went to strike together.
The fantasy epic, based on the J.R.R. Tolkien universe, continued filming in the United Kingdom. They managed to wrap the second season before the actors announced their strike. Per Variety, Payne and McKay planned with the production team in advance in case of a strike. They were really thinking ahead!
Stranger Things
One of the most anticipated television shows announced a halt days after the WGA strike commenced. Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of Stranger Things, wrote on the official Stranger Things writer's room X account, "Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins."
They continued, "While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out. #wgastrong." It's going to be a minute before fans return to Hawkins.
Good Fortune
Comedian Aziz Ansari had to stop production on his feature Good Fortune due to the WGA strike. The movie marked the comedian's feature directorial debut, which he also wrote, produced and acted in. Needless to say, it's an unfortunate turn of events for Ansari.
While the plot remained under wraps, John Wick star Keanu Reeves and comedy legend Seth Rogen were set to star alongside Ansari. Lionsgate, which is the studio behind the film, made the decision to shut it down. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the hope is to continue later, but it's unclear when that will be possible.
Uncoupled
Fans of the series Uncoupled have been bouncing back and forth. At first, they thought the beloved show would finish after its initial season on Netflix until Showtime announced it would pick up the second season. However, the series is yet another whose production has been halted due to the ongoing strikes.
Star of the series Neil Patrick Harris said on The View, "We were going to start filming it in the beginning of July but the writers strike is happening. So, everything is sort of on pause - go writers, writers strong." Tuc Watkins, who plays Harris's ex, has been out on the picket lines.
Unstoppable
Despite trying to continue amidst the WGA strike, Jennifer Lopez's feature-length movie was, apparently, stoppable. Unstoppable was shooting near the University of Southern California when a group of 15 to 25 picketers showed up at the filming location, per Deadline.
The wrestling flick starring Lopez and Jharrel Jerome is produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's new production company, Artists Equity. Filming had only lasted two weeks when the production was shut down. Now Unstoppable will be on an indefinite hiatus as the strikes continue to put Hollywood to a halt.
It Ends With Us
Apparently, it doesn't end with them. The strike has continued to overtake Hollywood bringing the film adaptation of Collen Hoover's bestselling novel to a stop. Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are starring in the project and were only partially finished with filming when Hollywood came to a standstill.
Jenny Slate is also set to appear in the movie. According to Deadline, the crew delivered the news by an e-mail that read, "Due to the ongoing WGA strike and the lost days we have experienced due to picketing, we must make the difficult decision to temporarily shut down production."
Abbott Elementary
School is not in session for the cast and crew of Abbott Elementary. The Emmy Award-winning comedy about a group of teachers at an underfunded school in Philadelphia has been a fan favorite since it started airing. However, the writers' room for the third season was brought to a stop when the WGA declared a strike.
Series regular William Stanford Davis showed his residuals check on social media, which amounted to three cents. Davis and cast member Sheryl Lee Ralph picketed on the front lines together. Writers from the show, like showrunner Quinta Brunson, have also been showing their support for the strikes.
Award Shows
Every year, fans will cast their predictions of who will take home the most awards or win best dressed at the many awards shows. However, even these mainstays are being disrupted by the strikes in Hollywood. Drew Barrymore pulled out of her hosting gig for the MTV Movie & TV Awards to support the WGA strike.
The show continued without a red carpet, talent interviews beforehand, and without a host. Variety reported that from their sources, they found out that the Emmy Awards ceremony, meant to be held on September 18, has been postponed. Meanwhile, the Tony Awards went on as scheduled on June 18 without a script.
Family Guy
The Griffin family has been a constant on television since its premiere in 1999. Over the years, audiences have laughed, cried, and cried from laughter as Peter, Lois, Chris, Meg, and Stewie Griffin have gotten into shenanigans over and over. So, what is going to happen with Family Guy?
Seth McFarlane, Rich Appel, and Alec Sulkin have stopped working on the show and picked up their picket signs. McFarlane wrote on his Instagram, "Very proud to walk the picket line with this group today, and none of them should have to wait any longer for a fair and equitable deal."
American Dad
McFarlane isn't only involved in one show being affected. The Family Guy creator is also one part of the brains behind American Dad. Similarly, McFarlane and the showrunners of American Dad, Brian Boyle and Matt Weitzman, have stopped their writing duties to support the WGA strike.
The long-running animated comedy follows the Smith family, an eccentric upper-middle-class family whose patriarch works for the CIA. The 20th season of American Dad started airing in March, so there's still some time before audiences will be left without new episodes.
The Talk
Daytime television is also being affected by the strikes happening in Hollywood. When the WGA began their strike, The Talk stopped production, according to sources acquired by Deadline, and the CBS talk show proceeded to air previously recorded fresh episodes.
The Talk is a panel show featuring Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Akbar Gbajabiamila, Jerry O'Connell, and Sheryl Underwood as hosts. Other daytime shows, like The View and Live With Kelly and Mark, remain unaffected so far. However, things may change in this ever-evolving landscape.
Emily in Paris
Emily is going to have to reschedule her flight to Paris! The fourth season of the Netflix show was delayed due to the WGA strike. According to Variety, Emily in Paris delayed filming by two months on June 6, 2023. However, they also noted, "that could stretch longer if WGA members remain on the picket line."
It seems that Lily Collins and the rest of her castmates are still waiting for deals to be made so they can start filming. During the Cannes Film Festival, actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, who portrays Emily's boss, told Variety, "We're waiting for it to be resolved. We'll see how it settles!"
Cobra Kai
The last season of the beloved karate comedy-drama Cobra Kai has also been stopped in the middle of its writers' room. Jon Hurwitz, co-creator of the Netflix show, wrote on Twitter, "We hate to strike, but if we must, we strike hard. Pencils down in the Cobra Kai writers room. No writers on set."
He continued, "These aren't fun times, but it's unfortunately necessary. The moment a fair deal is in place, we'll get back to kicking a**. In the meantime, sending strength and support to the negotiating committee. You got this. #WGA #WGAStrong #writerstrike."
Euphoria
Fans of the hit HBO show already anticipated a long break between seasons two and three of the drama Euphoria. Between the first two seasons, two years passed by. The same was expected for the third season. However, the strike has impacted the length of time, and the third season is scheduled to be released in 2025.
HBO executive Francesca Orsi told Deadline, "Euphoria is one of those that we had begun writing in tandem with post-production on [The Idol] but at this point, we don't have countless scripts. We can't start shooting, so the delivery of that show - ideally in 2025 - will be determined on when we can pick back up with Sam..."
Good Omens
Every writer and actor in Hollywood right now may be looking for a "good omen," and there may be one. The long-awaited second season of the Amazon Prime Video series is expected to arrive on time this summer. However, there may be one unforeseen change.
The book's co-author and the creator of the show, Neil Gaiman, will not be allowed to promote the show. Gaiman wrote on Twitter, "To forestall the inevitable questions, Good Omens 2 is completed and handed in. Although I may not be able to promote it as I had hoped."
Loot
Picketers disrupted another show, Loot, forcing it to shut down amid production. The comedy stars Maya Rudolph as a billionaire whose life falls apart when her husband betrays her, and she becomes the top story of the tabloids. Then, she devises a plan to give away her fortune through her charitable foundation.
The Apple comedy was in the middle of filming its second season. When the WGA started the strike, picketers showed up at the Bel-Air mansion used for filming, forcing production to halt. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the production is on hold, and no one is sure when filming will resume.
Jeopardy!
The 39th season of Jeopardy! will continue as planned. It will just look a little different. Ever since the show's host Alex Trebek passed away, the hosting duties were officially passed on to former contestant Ken Jennings and The Big Bang Theory actress Mayim Bialik.
In solidarity with the writers' strike, host Mayim Bialik decided to step out on the final days of filming for the 39th season, and her co-host, Ken Jennings, took over her duties. The last week of filming took place between May 16-19. The show employs WGA writers, and Bialik wanted to show her support.
Rap Sh!t
Although production or writing wasn't stopped by picketers or the strikes, Rap Sh!t was still impacted by what is happening in Hollywood. In fact, the second season of Issa Rae's series finished shooting in April. However, the show was still delayed from its original premiere date.
Per Variety, Max pushed the return from August 10 to November 9. This move "signals a hope on the studio's part... that labor conflicts will be resolved by then and that talent will be able [to] help generate buzz." Per the strike's rules, actors cannot promote projects.
The Chosen
The faith-based series was chosen as the first show to be granted a waiver from SAG to continue filming even as the strike marches on. The official Twitter account of the show wrote, "Great news! We just received word from SAG that we have been approved for a waiver. We'll continue shooting on Monday."
Per Deadline, these interim agreements, also known as waivers, are granted to independent producers as long as there is no affiliation with the AMPTP. Given the indie roots of The Chosen, the team was granted permission to continue filming their season.
The Upshaws
The team behind Netflix's The Upshaws was so close to finishing before their filming was suspended. Wanda Sykes, an executive producer and one of the show's stars, told Variety that production was suspended due to the WGA strike. The sitcom had filmed ten out of the twelve episodes.
Netflix is still going through with releasing the completed episodes, which are set to premiere on August 17. A trailer for the latest season dropped on August 3 and features old and new faces. Hopefully, fans will be able to enjoy the last two episodes when the team can finish them.
Yellowjackets
The Showtime drama only worked one day before having to put down their pens due to the WGA strike. The thriller follows the aftermath of a terrifying plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. Before the second season finished airing all its episodes, the show was renewed for a third season.
The series co-creator Ashley Lyle tweeted, "Well, we had exactly one day in the #YellowJackets S3 writers' room. It was amazing, and creatively invigorating, and so much fun, and I'm very excited to get back to it as soon as the #WGA gets a fair deal. #1u #unionstrong."
Bunk'd
The seventh season of the Disney Channel series has been stopped due to the WGA strike. Deadline announced the news after gaining access to a document. The producers are hopeful for a resolution and to resume filming "at the earliest possible opportunity."
Bunk'd is the longest-running live-action comedy series that Disney has ever had on the channel. Only 12 episodes out of a 20-episode order were finished by the time the strikes put everything at a standstill. We'll be crossing our fingers that all of these shows and movies can get back to work.