Podcast. Why American screenwriters are on strike

They put the pen down and don’t intend to resume writing anytime soon. In Hollywood, screenwriters have been on strike since 1^er May, due to failed negotiations with major production studios and streaming platforms. They are demanding an increase in their remuneration, minimum guarantees to benefit from a stable job and a greater share of the profits generated by the rise of streaming, to respond to the growing precariousness of the profession.

This massive strike, followed by all screenwriters and supported by famous actors, paralyzes the Hollywood industry. In the United States, the consequences are already visible on the screens: more satirical programs in the evening on television – the late night shows content themselves with reruns, for lack of authors to write the sketches. And in the rest of the world too, the strike will soon be felt. The production of new seasons of very popular series such as The Last of Us, Stranger Things or House of the Dragon has been paused. If the movement continues, all television and film production in 2024 is likely to suffer.

In this episode of the “L’Heure du Monde” podcast, journalist Clémentine Goldszal recounts her investigation for “M Le magazine du Monde” among American screenwriters. She paints a portrait of a profession heckled by the giants of streaming and by the economic situation.

An episode of Claire Leys. Directed by: Florentin Baume. Presentation and editor-in-chief: Morgane Tual. In this episode: excerpts from a written statement by American screenwriter Alex O’Keefe; a report from France 24 in February 2008; from an interview with screenwriter Caroline Fox.

Learn more about the writers’ strike: