As the ongoing WGA strike continues, more and more television productions are being forced to alter their schedules. The latest to do so is Paramount+'s supernatural drama Evil, which is reportedly wrapping production on Season 4 early after crew members stood in solidarity with the WGA work stoppage.According to Variety, a source close to the show said that the series had officially been put on hiatus not because of the writers strike, but due to the fact that an unnamed actor from the show had to take a leave of absence due to a family matter. However, outside of Brooklyn Stages in Brooklyn, where Evil was being filmed, at least three members of the WGA were seen picketing late into the night, with video posted on social media showing the writers marching with signs. These writers were encouraged by numerous people from IATSE, the union which represents film and television crew members. The IATSE members were seen standing in solidarity with the WGA protesters, and reportedly refused to cross the picket line. This partnership eventually forced the production of Evil to shut down, at least until the studios come to an agreement on fair wages for the striking writers.Starlee Kine, a writer for the TV series Search Party, was also at the protests, and shed some more light on how the WGA picketers were able to bring production on Evil to a halt after everyone starting standing by them. "WE WON. Evil (the show) shut down around 1 a.m.," Kine tweeted. "A handful of us walking in a tiny circle cost them the day’s shoot. We were told the producers were pissed. They kept the crew there for hours, sitting on the sidewalk. We felt the solidarity. We’ll win this whole thing together." Kine later told Variety, "The IATSE crew was across the street from us the entire time, not crossing the picket line."
The Future of Evil Could Be Up in the Air
As it remains unclear when both sides of the aisle will come to an agreement on the strike, so too does the future of Evil remain up in the air. The show stars Katja Herbers as Dr. Kristen Bouchard, a forensic psychologist who investigates supernatural incidents, along with a priest, David Acosta (Mike Colter) and technology expert Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi). The series also stars Kurt Fuller, Brooklyn Shuck, and Marti Matulis. Evil was renewed for a fourth installment in July 2022, when episodes of Season 3 were airing. Season 4 was originally comissioned for 10 episodes. However, it is unclear how the production shutdown could affect these plans.
Evil was co-created by Robert King and Michelle King, who also executive produce alongside Liz Glotzer, Rockne S. O’Bannon, and Nelson McCormick. The project is a collaboration between King Size Productions and CBS Studios, and originally aired on the latter network before moving to Paramount+ for Season 2.
A video of the striking workers can be seen below: