ess than a day into the strike by Writers Guild of America (WGA)—the union representing 11,500 writers of TV, movies, and other entertainment—an article and tweet from Variety revealing that House of the Dragon Season 2 plans to continue filming prompted a fierce debate over the fate of TV scripts. “All scripts were finished,” read the tweet. But were they, really? According to several TV writers and producers who weighed in online on what it means for scripts to actually be finished and who, exactly, finishes them, things change constantly...

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After several writers told Variety they’ve been frustrated about the lack of clarity around the rules for projects set up with the U.K. branches of “struck” companies like Disney or Netflix, but aren’t covered by WGA terms, the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain has attempted to clarify the rules of play. On Thursday, the WGGB emailed members and provided an update on its website FAQ section, and all signs seem to indicate that “pre-existing” projects can continue, but new work for the U.K. subsidiaries of “struck” companies will be discouraged....

The Writers Guild of America strike will likely last weeks as the union plans two major rallies in Los Angeles and New York for May 15. “There’s no telling how long the Writers Guild of America strike will last, but as it enters its second day, guild leaders expect it to still be going by May 15, when they’re planning to stage massive rallies on both coasts,” reported Deadline. “The last writers strike, in 2007-08 lasted 100 days, and the one before that, in 1988, lasted 153 days.” The May...

Film and TV writers are, as is to be expected, coming up with clever ways to get across their demands for job security and better pay. Dozens of witty messages have been inked on signs that members of the Writers Guild of America have held while picketing outside entertainment companies in California and New York since the start of their strike on Tuesday. “I would write something funny + clever but I’m on strike!” read one. Another said: “Our shows are household names but we can’t afford houses.” Multiple placards...

Hollywood’s writers strike that triggered nationwide protests and halted productions this week could be the beginning of a months-long standoff. The Writers Guild of America and the media companies abandoned their talks several hours before a Monday night deadline to reach a new contract, stunning industry observers who had expected a suspenseful night. But negotiations had collapsed earlier in the day when it became clear the two camps were far apart on key issues — and that neither side was willing to bend to close the gap, according to interviews...

After a breakdown in negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the WGA and its 11,000 writers formally began a strike just after midnight on Tuesday morning. The AMPTP maintains that it offered “generous increases in compensation for writers,” but as the WGA put it in a news release, “the studios have taken advantage of the transition to streaming to underpay writers at all levels.” Michael Winship, president of the WGA East, was involved with the Writers Guild back...

A prominent talent lawyer for A-list Hollywood stars is predicting that the writers strike will accelerate the industry’s adoption of artificial intelligence technology, saying the longer the strike lasts, the more scripts will be written by AI. Attorney Leigh Brecheen — whose client list has included Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, and John Oliver — made the prognostication in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I absolutely promise you that some people are already working on getting scripts written by AI, and the longer the strike lasts, the more resources will...

To a lot of people outside the negotiating room, a strike by Hollywood writers felt inevitable. But it didn’t feel that way inside the room. Until the last day or two, negotiators for both labor and management believed that the other side would give, and that a deal would be reached at the last moment. But picket lines in Los Angeles and New York this week tell a different story. The conflict that led to the breakdown of talks on the night of May 1 began the day before. On...