(For an article that speaks more generally, click here. I’ll be focusing on Star Trek.)
The Writer’s Guild of America went on strike in May. The actors guild (SAG-AFTRA) began theirs on Thursday. Among the demands from both camps are 1) an updated compensation structure that deals with streaming content more fairly and 2) restrictions on the usage of AI and other computer tools that perform the duties from either union. (After all, ensigns should make more than this and extras shouldn’t have to worry about being in their own version of “Joan Is Awful.”)
(And outside of the writers and actors, one mustn’t forget the contributions of the many scores of people behind-the-scenes who make these shows possible. They, too, will be out of work. Visual Effects Production Manager Shawn Ewashko has tweeted praises about the team he’s assembled for Trek live action going forward, but he’s also worried that prolonged strikes could decimate that team as its members have to find other work to feed their families.)
Both strikes have come at a time of desperation for Paramount and when its future is clouded. Any discussion of post-strike Paramount and Trek would be pure speculation at this point, so I will focus on the productions that are already greenlit and at various stages of completion.
DISCOVERY: As we all know, after filming on the fifth season was wrapped last November, Paramount canceled the show in March. New scenes were written to wrap up the series and pickup shoots were planned shortly thereafter. A tweet from showrunner Michelle Paradise indicates that filming for those pickups began in late April, so we can speculate that the filming is complete by now, though I don’t recall seeing confirmation of that. Post-production is still underway on DIS season five and that should continue unabated.
STRANGE NEW WORLDS: The show was renewed for season three and writing was completed before the WGA strike in May, however, the series delayed its production start in solidarity with the WGA. Once the strikes are over, SNW will likely resume then.
LOWER DECKS: Voice actors are also on strike, but the recording for season four was completed last year. Assuming it’s not already finished, the show is in the hands of the animators and should be released as planned. A fifth season was ordered in March, but writing and production on that will have to wait until after the strikes.
PRODIGY: (sigh) Despite its cancellation (more precisely, renewal reversal), the second season is nearing completion. (The voice acting was complete.) The Emmy-nominated series’ second season is being shopped to other streaming services and producers are confident it will find a home.
SECTION 31: While a writers room for this show existed way back in 2020, it hasn’t been said publicly if the conversion of that series into a single film was completed before the strike began in May (making S31 into a movie was announced in March, so I’m sure that some work was already underway). Regardless, production has not yet begun and won’t until after the strikes.
STARFLEET ACADEMY: Perhaps not as long as S31, but SA has had a writers room for a while and it was already active when the series was announced in March. However, like S31, no production is expected for a while.
LEGACY: (Not greenlit, but the people want it.) One of the powers that be says the “appetite for it is undeniable,” but there won’t be any discussion about it officially until the strike(s) are over.
Conventions: You may not have seen this coming, but there’s a long list of things striking actors can’t do. Sure, SAG-AFTRA members cannot film their roles, but they can’t promote them, either. That means no conventions. (I’m not sure what’s going to happen at Comic-Con then.) It is unclear at the moment if an actor from a legacy show (like TNG, DS9, etc.) can appear at a convention. Armin Shimmerman is looking for more info while a tweet from Anson Mount suggests that maybe they make a “personal appearance,” so long as they aren’t promoting anything specific.
(Edited to add tweets from Shimmerman and Mount at the end.)
I’m willing to sacrifice my TV binging to support striking workers.
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It is a shame this strike is happening right as Star Trek shows have made a great comeback. Understandable though. Hopefully the people responsible for our entertainment get everything they ask for!
it hasn’t been said publicly if the conversion of that series into a single film was completed before the strike began in May
It’s very unlikely that it was - when they announced that “Section 31” will be a movie instead of a series, they also announced a new writer, Craig Sweeny. Unless he had a pretty big head start before the announcement, I doubt much work has been done.
Anson Mount tweeted an update that the first tweet may not be accurate. The organizers of Star Trek Las Vegas, Creation Entertainment, are running a Vampire Diaries convention in Orlando this weekend. While the actors are appearing on the panels, there are reports from attendees on Twitter and Instagram that the actors are not discussing or answering any questions related to the show.
I really hope that if the talks between the guild and the convention organizers this week aren’t able to provide an exception for talking about projects at independent conventions, that Creation will postpone STLV.
Here’s the SAG-AFTRA FAQ for members.
You cannot participate in conventions such as Comic-Con on behalf of, or to promote, companies we are striking against - this includes appearances, panels, fan meet and greets, etc. involving struck work. You may participate in a convention in ways that are wholly independent of characters from struck work or sponsorship by struck companies. If you have any questions relating to this distinction, please contact SAGAFTRAstrike@sagaftra.org.
I didn’t realize all the shows that they have lined up to come out. After episode 2 of SNW I’d like to see a series about the Eugenics Wars.
Doesn’t impact my favorite shows since they were already wrapped up twenty years ago.
