Stranger Things was the most streamed series of 2022 on Netflix. 4 seasons have been released to critical and commercial acclaim. Fans are impatiently waiting for the 5th season, which is the last season of the series as well. However, they will have to wait for a long time to see it because the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers are siding with the WGA.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) are striking for better pay and to get residual payments off the projects they have worked on. They are also protesting against AI like ChatGPT that’s encroaching on writing jobs. So in solidarity, the Duffer Brothers have stopped production on season 5 of Stranger Things.
Stranger Things Creators Halt Production Over WGA Strike
In a tweet from the Stranger Things writers account, the Duffer Brothers said, “Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. 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” Here’s the tweet:
Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. 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
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) May 6, 2023
The tweet indicates that the scripts for the episodes are finished but even then the creators are not pushing forward with production. Apart from showing solidarity, this decision was probably taken because writers are also present on the set during filming to change or alter things when needed. Without them, filming can prove to be difficult or impossible. Fans have wholeheartedly supported this move by the creators.
Stranger Things isn’t the only show that is delaying production. Other Netflix hits like Cobra Kai and Big Mouth have also paused production. Apart from these shows, other prominent hits like American Horror Story, Abbott Elementary, and Yellowjackets, among others, have stopped production to support the WGA strike. But not every big show has chosen to do so.
House Of The Dragon And Rings Of Power Will Continue Production In A Slap To The WGA Strike
HBO’s House of the Dragon and Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power will continue production. As per Variety, the Game of Thrones prequel show’s season 2 scripts have been written and finalized. So the company has decided to move ahead with production. But neither will there be any rewriting done nor will there be any WGA members on set during filming.
The situation with Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is pretty much the same. The show has completed a lot of its shooting with only a mere 17-19 days left of filming. However, the remaining filming will be done without executive producers and showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay overseeing the production. Variety notes that “Non-writing executive producers will shepherd the last leg of shooting.”
Fans have heavily criticized this move by HBO and Amazon. Also, the actors and others associated with the production of these shows have come under fire for not supporting the strike. It now remains to be seen if WGA will be able to reach an agreement with Hollywood’s bosses.
