How Will the Writers Strike Impact Hallmark? Screenwriters Speak Out
https://heavy.com/entertainment/hallmark/hallmark-writers-strike/
Hallmark screenwriters are speaking out about the Hollywood writers’ strike and how it will affect their industry. Here’s a look at why they’re supporting the strike, and how the strike might impact work down the line.
The TV and film writers’ strike began on Tuesday, May 2, marking the first strike since 2007-2008,
CBS News reported. While late-night shows will be affected almost immediately, as they are typically written daily, the strike will trickle down to affect other shows the longer it lasts.
Scripted shows and movies that are written further in advance will take longer to be affected, CBS News noted. Any projects already written, like some Hallmark Christmas movies, can still be filmed. In fact, Hallmark has already been filming quite a few of its 2023 Christmas movies. Back in January, for example, the network
already shot “A Biltmore Christmas” starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Kristoffer Polaha.
“When Calls the Heart” season 10 will not be affected, since it has already been filmed. The series will still premiere in late July as planned. However, if writing hasn’t been finished on a movie or TV series, that might be delayed depending on how long the strike lasts, CBS News noted.
The writers’ strike began after negotiations broke down with companies like Discovery-Warner, Netflix,
Amazon, and Disney,
CBS News reported.
According to the WGA (Writers Guild of America), their requests include better compensation and residuals for streaming movies, better terms for paying out the second half of writing contracts, a minimum of six writers in a writers’ room, and the like.
In a statement, the WGA noted: “From their refusal to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, to the creation of a ‘day rate’ in comedy variety, to their stonewalling on free work for screenwriters and on AI for all writers, they have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession. No such deal could ever be contemplated by this membership,”
CBS News shared.
‘Mystery 101’ Screenwriter Said They Just Want to be Paid Fairly So They Can Be ‘Solidly Middle Class’
In an interview with the
Hallmark Mysteries & More podcast, writer John Christian Plummer shared details about the writers strike and exactly why this is so important for screenwriters’ future careers. Hallmark Mysteries & More is co-hosted by Eric Rutin and Sydney Rowland.
“Right now our contract that we have with all the studios (Amazon, Apple, Paramount, NBC Universal…) needs to be reevaluated…” Plummer explained. “It’s up to the studios if they are going to meet our incredibly reasonable terms to be paid fairly, to be compensated fairly mostly in the streaming world… The business has changed a lot since we last negotiated a contract and we just want to make sure that we’re compensated fairly…”
Plummer explained that they’re not trying to get rich, they just want to be able to have a middle-class level lifestyle. [. . .]
‘Hanukkah on Rye’ Screenwriter Said It Will Be ‘Impossible to Make a Living’ Without This
Julie Sherman Wolfe, a screenwriter for Hallmark films like “Hanukkah on Rye,” “Always Amore,” “The Perfect Pairing,” and more, stands fully in support of the strike.
She
tweeted, “25 years in the WGA and I have never felt so strongly that this is the hill to die on, especially for younger writers. If we don’t get this… It’ll be impossible to make a living in the very near future.”
Many Hallmark stars have shared social media posts in support of the strike, including Lacey Chabert, Tyler Hynes, and Kyana Teresa.
”
I’m not shocked but I am very disappointed 
If I watch her nowadays, I can't stop staring at her eyes. They look so weird now. 
and hope each of you are having a good Saturday.
What a way to ruin what could have been a great movie. I lasted 5 minutes as she was being prissy. I think I'll stick to looking at travel brochure photos of Zion. (I've actually been there in the dead of winter. I would have loved to see it again during warm weather.)
