Renowned Creators, Including Bad Robot and Greg Berlanti, Feel Impact as Warner Bros. TV Suspends High-Profile Production Agreements Amid Writers Strike
Credit: Google | Warner Bros. | Amid Writers Strike
In a significant move within the entertainment industry, Warner Bros. Television Group has temporarily halted multiple high-profile overall deals as the Writers Guild of America strike stretches into its fourth month. This bold decision has far-reaching implications for renowned figures like Bad Robot, Greg Berlanti, Chuck Lorre, Bill Lawrence, John Wells, and Mindy Kaling.
Breaking: Warner Bros. TV has suspended overall deals for mega-producers Greg Berlanti, JJ Abrams' Bad Robot, Chuck Lorre, Bill Lawrence and Mindy Kaling https://t.co/KG9aSmzezf
— Lesley Goldberg (@Snoodit) September 7, 2023
The strike, which began several months ago, has now impacted the upper echelons of Warner Bros. TV Group, led by Channing Dungey. The studio has decided to suspend a range of overall deals that encompass a diverse slate of projects. This includes J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot with “Duster“, Greg Berlanti’s “Superman & Lois“, Chuck Lorre’s “Bob Hearts Abishola“, Bill Lawrence’s “Shrinking“, John Wells’ “Maid“, and Mindy Kaling’s “Sex Lives of College Girls”.
This suspension mirrors actions taken earlier in the strike when lower-level writer deals were similarly suspended. While these prolific producers had not been actively writing, they were contractually obligated to continue their work as producers. All of them are involved in multiple shows and development projects within the Warner Bros. TV Group.
It’s crucial to understand that these deals have been suspended, not terminated, with the anticipation that Warner Bros. will require these top producers to swiftly resume writing and production when the labor action concludes. This is vital for maintaining the content pipeline, which has been disrupted by the strike.
These suspensions come at a time when studios and streaming platforms, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, are tightening their budgets in response to the ongoing writers strike, which has now passed the 100-day mark. This cost-cutting trend is affecting the entertainment industry at large, with layoffs beginning to impact companies like Roku. Additionally, there are rumors of potential staff reductions at NBCUniversal.
Warner Bros. TV had previously suspended some first-look and overall deals back in May when the WGA strike first began. These earlier suspensions excluded producers who still had shows in production at the time. However, with the strike intensifying as SAG-AFTRA members joined the picket line in July, production has virtually ground to a halt, leading to the suspension of these major deals.
Unlike terminations, which have not been widespread in the industry, deal suspensions put agreements on hold while no work is being done. When production resumes, the suspended time is typically added to the end of the deal. However, this pause in overhead payments affects companies like Bad Robot, impacting their staff in the interim.
These suspensions underscore the industry’s ongoing challenges as it navigates the complex landscape created by the prolonged strike, affecting both studios and creators in unprecedented ways.
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