There might be a very easy solution for the strike organized by the Writers Guild of America which is currently placing several major Hollywood productions on hold. The Guild revealed to its members through an email that their proposed deal would cost studios an estimated $429 million every year, according to a report from Variety — which is virtually modest compared to the billions the industry generates annually. On the other hand, if the strike were to be extended during the coming weeks and months, a bigger amount of money would be lost for the major studios, making it clear that accepting the WGA's proposal would improve the situation for everyone.
The Guild is looking for an active change regarding the way writers are treated during the current era of the industry, where streaming is one of the main branches of content production. If the demands are met, platforms like Netflix and Disney+ would be required to hire a writing team consisting of a minimum number of members, for a defined minimum amount of time, ensuring better job security for the people in charge of creating the stories audiences love. Another bargaining point for the conflict is residuals, which would allow writers to receive proper compensation if what they wrote turns out to be successful, much like it used to be during the prime of cable television.
What Could the Strike Cost Each Major Studio?
In the memo, the WGA also broke down what their proposed deal would cost each of the major studios. As it stands, the WGA says this deal would cost Disney $75 million per year; Netflix, $68 million; Warner Bros. Discovery, $47 million; Paramount Global, $45 million; NBCUniversal, $34 million; Amazon, $32 million; Sony, $25 million; and Apple, $17 million.
While those numbers may look significant, The Hollywood Reporter also shared the WGA's estimated percentages of how much annual revenue it would cost the major studios to pay their writers properly. For perspective, Netflix would only lose around 0.1% of its income, while Warner Bros. would merely have to pay 0.108% of what they earn to compensate the writers. Time and time again, it's been proven that the studios are only stalling before they begin to talk about the only solution to this problem, which is giving better wages to the people behind an essential part of the production process. Many things have changed within the economic climate and the industry itself since the last time the Guild negotiated for changes.
How Is The Strike Affecting Your Favorite Show?
Since major productions across the entire industry have been paused due to the writer's strike, upcoming releases will likely be delayed by the ongoing conflict. House of the Dragon will continue to film its second season without writers on set, risking the quality and integrity of the dialogue and story choices played out by the characters. On the other hand, The Mandalorian's fourth season will face a production delay until the strike is over, meaning that it will arrive on Disney+ later than originally expected. It looks like the only way to move forward is to give writers what they're owed.