Breaking Down the 2023 Actor and Writer Strikes—And How It Impacts You

Forget the Avengers, the writers and the actors are assembling.

After the Writers Guild of America officially went on strike May 2 following six weeks of failed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is poised to join the picket line.

Despite an 11th hour extension, the union did not reach a deal with AMPTP when the contract expired on July 12, leading the union to vote unanimously to recommend the actors to strike against the film and television industry for the first time since 1980. 

"SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addressed performer needs," guild president Fran Drescher said in a statement, "but the AMPTP's responses to the union's most important proposals have been insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry. The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us."

So it's go time, or as Devon Sawa put it in a July 13 tweet, "Which one of you lucky writers wants me down on the line with them the baddest? I'm bringing cake." 

Here's everything you need to know about the dual strikes and how they will impact Hollywood and your viewing habits:

What is the Writer's Guild of America?

In short, the people responsible for keeping you up every night as you binge your favorite series. Referring to two unions—the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West—the WGA represents all the comedic and dramatic wunderkinds who work in television and film. 

Their job is to negotiate with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents large production houses like Disney and streamers like Apple+ and Netflix. 

Why did the writers vote to authorize a strike?

Every three years, the WGA works with the AMPTP to negotiate a new contract that is then authorized by its membership. With weeks of talks getting nowhere, the WGA overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike as a way of bargaining with the AMPTP if they couldn't reach an agreement before their contract expired May 1. 

Among the many issues at play: Money, because it turns out you can't actually dine out on the fact that you have a cool job working on a show, like, Succession or Yellowjackets.

Residuals—the money paid to the people who helped write, produce and appear in a piece of media when it's re-aired—make up a hefty portion of a writer's salary. And they've been largely affected by the explosion of streaming services.

Allow writer Michael Jones-Morales to explain: "The WGA contracts that currently exist were built upon a model where the content providers generated the revenue through ad sales. So, if I write an episode of television that re-airs over and over and over again, every time that episode re-airs, the content provider generates revenue and a little piece of that revenue gets shared with everyone that contributed to the creation of it. Now, their revenue is made almost exclusively through monthly or annual subscriptions. So there is no re-airing, people can watch what they want when they want, which means we're not getting the same residuals."

In other words, noted Abbott Elementary scribe Brittani Nichols, while she pockets $13,500 when an episode of the ABC series is replayed on network TV, when it hits Hulu and Disney+, "the amount that you're paid for that episode being on new media—streaming—is $700." 

Another sticking point is something called mini rooms, which as the diminutive name suggests, is the same as a writers' room—but with fewer writers and less time to work.

Instead of splashing out to staff a full writers' room, Jones-Morales explained to More Perfect Union, "Increasingly, they are saying, 'You know what? Let's not spend those millions of dollars on a pilot. Let's spend significantly less money on a number of mini rooms where we will hire a smaller number of writers per project and we will order two or three or four or however many scripts without actually shooting any of it. And then we can look and read those scripts." 

The problem, said TV writer Danny Tolli, "The streamers were only going to pay weekly compensation to all writers, regardless of level. So you could be a co-executive producer with 10 years of experience who might have sold some development, so you have a proven track record—you could be making the same as a staff writer who, this is their very first job." 

Bottom line, said Jones-Morales: "It is absolutely undeniable that the streaming platforms are generating mountains of money through their subscription base. What they're choosing to do with that money is an entirely different question."

Why am I hearing about AI?

The WGA has also proposed restrictions on production houses using AI to generate or adapt writers' creations into scripts. The AMPTP's counter was to have "annual meetings to discuss advances in technology," which is not exactly a guarantee that we won't one day be watching television literally created by robots. And, as Quinta Brunson quipped in one of the wittier strike signs, "AI Can't Write Tariq's Raps."

Wait, the actors are striking, too?

Because the contract between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists and the studios also expired this year. And while the actors haven't been on strike since 1980, talks haven't been looking promising for awhile. 

Negotiations went past the set June 30 deadline and sailed through the July 12 extension. And, like the writers, unionized actors voted overwhelmingly to authorize their leaders to call a strike if no deal was reached. By July 13, they had unanimously voted to strike. 

More than 300 bold named stars like Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Bob Odenkirk signed a letter to negotiators emphasizing their willingness to strike, saying they are "ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not."

What do the actors want amid the strike?

SAG-AFTRA has the same basic complaints as the writers, because not every one of their more than 160,000 members are pocketing eight figures per project and many are quite affected by the shift to the streaming model. 

Also, like the writers, actors have fears about the wild, wild west of unregulated artificial intelligence, with SAG-AFTRA writing in one memo to members that its ability to recreate performances is "a real and immediate threat."

Okay, how does the writers' and actors' strike affect me?

It doesn't—unless you like watching television and movies. The first two-union strike in the industry in more than six decades would lead to a huge loss in revenue (the 100-day writers' strike that stretched from 2008 into 2009 cost $2.1 billion to California's economy alone) and enjoyment with no new scripts being created and a whole slew of TV series pressing pause on production. 

To find out if your favorite shows will be impacted, keep reading. 

Looks like we're going to be stuck in the upside down a little longer.

Stranger Things co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer, known more familiarly as the Duffer Brothers, announced on Twitter May 5 that production on the fifth and final season of the Netflix hit had been shut down.

"Writing does not stop when filming begins," the brothers wrote. "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."

Due to the strike and creator Sam Levinson's commitment to The Idol, HBO has pushed the premiere date of the Zendaya-fronted drama's third season to January 2025.

"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," HBO executive Francesca Orsi told Deadline this spring. "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, who at this point is all pencils down and just finishing posts on Idol."

The Netflix hit is saying "Yes, sensei!" to supporting the WGA, halting production on the sixth and final season.

"We hate to strike, but if we must, we strike hard," Cobra Kai showrunner Jon Hurwitz tweeted May 2. "Pencils down in the Cobra Kai writers room. No writers on set. These aren't fun times, but it's unfortunately necessary. The moment a fair deal is in place, we'll get back to kicking ass. In the meantime, sending strength and support to the negotiating committee. You got this."

Just one day into working on season three, Yellowjackets co-creator Ashley Lyle tweeted on May 2 that the Showtime series shut down its writers' room.

"It was amazing, and creatively invigorating, and so much fun," Ashley wrote. "And I'm very excited to get back to it as soon as the #WGA gets a fair deal."

School is no longer in session.

Abbott Elementary writer Brittani Nichols, who is the Los Angeles-based captain for the WGA West, revealed that the ABC sitcom closed its writers' room.

In an interview with Democracy Now, Brittani called the current TV industry "a gig economy," explaining the reason for the strike is because "we are demanding that this industry is one that can sustain a career."

Creator and star Quinta Brunson took to Twitter on May 2 to share her support for the strike.

"I am a writer. I'm in the wga. I'm also on strike!" she wrote. "I have no real power here other than to join my union in demanding fair compensation for writers!"

Tony Gilroy, the creator of Disney+'s critically acclaimed Star Wars spinoff, confirmed production on its second season had been halted.

"I discontinued all writing and writing-related work on Andor prior to midnight, May 1," Gilroy said in a May 9 statement to The Hollywood Reporter. After being briefed on the Saturday showrunner meeting, I informed Chris Keyser at the WGA on Sunday morning that I would also be ceasing all non-writing producing functions."

Oh non!

Filming for the upcoming fourth season of the Netflix hit was delayed two months amid the strike, according to Variety, noting that production was initially slated to begin early fall. 

Fans eagerly anticipating Charlie Cox's return as Marvel's blind superhero will have to wait a little longer as production was paused on the Disney+ series.

After striking New York-based writers picketed the series, cameras rolled for the last time on June 12, according to Deadline, and production will not resume until a deal is reached.

Production on The Batman spinoff starring Colin Farrell as the iconic DC Comics villain was suspended after its New York-based sets became the target for WGA East picketers, per Deadline.

Fans will have to wait as long as it takes for the HBO Max comedy to return to the stage.

Co-showrunner Jen Statsky tweeted that production on Hacks' third season will be paused for the duration of the strike.

"We are devastated to not be with our incredible crew and cast right now, but there was no other option here," she wrote May 2. "Writing happens at every stage of the process – production and post included. It's what makes shows and movies good. It's what makes them possible."

Hacks initially began filming in November, but production briefly went on hold for a month in February after the series' star Jean Smart underwent a successful heart procedure.

"Live from New York, it's..." SNL going dark. 

Ahead of Pete Davidson's intended return as a host, the longrunning NBC sketch series canceled its upcoming shows. NBC announced May 2 that it will air repeats of SNL moving forward until further notice. 

Pete, who left the series last year after eight seasons, previously joked that he would take the cancellation personally if the writers' strike were indeed to happen.

"It sucks," he quipped on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, "because it just feeds my weird story I have in my head, like, 'Of course that would happen to me.'"

All three of Dick Wolf's Law & Order series are delayed at NBC.

Anyone else going to bed a little earlier recently?

Due to the strike, the following talk shows have gone dark: NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers, CBS' The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Plus, HBO's Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and Real Time With Bill Maher have also stopped filming, along with Comedy Central's The Daily Show.

All three of Dick Wolf's One Chicago series are delayed at NBC.

Prepare for a lot of reality series this upcoming TV season as major networks such as Fox and ABC are filling out their fall schedules with unscripted programming amid the WGA strike. 

ABC is bringing Dancing With the Stars back to primetime after moving it to Disney+, debuting The Golden Bachelor and airing encores of scripted series, including Abbott Elementary to pad out its timeslots. Meanwhile, Fox is focusing on its adult animation block and adding two new game shows, Name That Tune and Snake Oil, to its roster.

And, after it was dumped by Max, The CW will now air FBoy Island, along with the network picking up Canadian and European series to air in place of its original shows.