Don McKellar criticizes the WGA for expelling him and Park Chan-wook after a tribunal found their violations of strike rules were unintentional and based on misunderstandings, arguing that the decision was an overreach and a scare tactic by union leadership. He highlights the discrepancy between the tribunal's recommendations and the Board's harsh punishment, criticizing the leadership's disregard for due process and the potential influence of lawyers unfamiliar with TV production.
The Writers Guild of America expelled directors Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar for working on the HBO series 'The Sympathizer' during the 2023 strike, and also suspended writer Anthony Cipriano for similar violations. The guild emphasized accountability and transparency in enforcing strike rules.
SAG-AFTRA has asked its members participating in the ongoing actors strike to avoid dressing up as popular characters from struck content for Halloween, such as Barbie or Marvel superheroes, in order to not break strike rules. Instead, the guild suggests choosing costumes inspired by generalized characters like ghosts or skeletons. The guidance also includes not posting any costumes inspired by struck content on social media. The strike, which began nearly 100 days ago, is demanding wage increases, AI image protections, streaming program compensation boosts, and better health and retirement benefits.
Selena Gomez deleted an Instagram post that tagged her Hulu series "Only Murders in the Building" after being accused of breaking SAG-AFTRA strike rules. The post, which appeared to be a video from the set of the show, generated over 1.1 million likes before being pulled. While Gomez did not speak in the video or encourage followers to watch the show, she tagged the official account, leading followers to assume it was from the set. The debate continues on whether this constitutes a rule break. Gomez's co-stars have not given interviews about the show's third season due to the strike.
The Writers Guild of America has issued a set of strike rules to its members, stating that they will be barred from writing, pitching or negotiating for work if a strike is called. The guild also spelled out the rules for showrunners and other “hyphenates.” WGA members who are also producers, performers, or directors would be legally allowed to continue working, provided they do not perform any writing services. The guild is seeking higher minimums, a mandatory staffing level for TV shows, and a better formula for streaming residuals. Last week, 97.85% of the guild’s voting members authorized the leadership to call a strike if a new deal cannot be reached.
