Impact Spreads As Writers Strike Continues

(AP)  Indiana Jones, Capt. James T. Kirk and other movie heroes may have to toss off more ad-libbed wisecracks next year. By 2009, they could be positively tongue-tied if a strike by Hollywood writers drags on for months.

Unlike television, which felt an immediate impact as some programs shut down when writers halted work in November, big screen movies have a longer lead time and can ride out the strike with scripts already in hand, at least for now.

Talks between the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down bitterly last week, diminishing any hope that a quick resolution would limit the impact on movie production to small ripples.

In more fallout from the strike, the Television Critics Association - about 220 journalists writing for print and online outlets in the U.S. and Canada - announced Monday that it has cancelled its annual January meeting, where networks and cable channels promote upcoming program schedules.

Broadcasters had been unwilling to commit to the Los Angeles-area meeting, citing expected budget cutbacks and the possible difficulty of holding sessions about scripted shows, since many have been sidelined by the walkout.

Shooting on a few big films - among them Johnny Depp's drama "Shantaram" and Tom Hanks and Ron Howard's "Angels & Demons," a prequel to "The Da Vinci Code" - has been postponed, with studio executives deciding it is wiser to wait than risk a script impasse without a writer on set to polish up a scene.

Other films due out in 2008 largely have forged ahead as planned, producers taking extra pains as the strike deadline approached to have screenplays as close to letter-perfect as possible, so filming could proceed in the writer's absence.

"I just thank God that I'm not involved with anything in production, because it would be agony to have to stand there and know you could fix something and not fix it," said Akiva Goldsman, who wrote "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons" screenplays and won an Academy Award for the script of Howard's "A Beautiful Mind."

"But that's what a lot of my brothers and sisters are doing right now. That's tough, because you spend years getting to a movie, and it's like, melodramatically, it's like watching someone you love wander out into traffic."

The key issue for writers, who say they have been shortchanged on DVD revenues, is compensation for programming on the Internet and other new distribution forms. If the strike lingers as long as the one in 1988, when writers walked off the job for five months, it could cause chaos for filming schedules, desperately needed reshoots for scenes that don't work and planning for films further down the road.

"For 2008, the studios are all fine. If anything, they've had too much product in release, so even if they're down a few projects as 2008 unfolds, they'll give themselves a little more breathing room at the box office," said Anne Thompson, deputy editor of Hollywood trade paper Variety. "It's 2009 that starts becoming the issue, especially big tentpole projects."

Studios might be left dusting off scripts that have languished on the shelves for years to keep the production pipeline flowing, and the quality of the finished product would inevitably suffer.

"I would expect that as last time, you will see some forgettable movies coming to theaters," said Kim Masters, an entertainment correspondent for National Public Radio. "I can't see how studio executives can feel really comfortable going forward with a script where rewrites may be needed, as they so often are."

• 1
• 2
• Next Page »

[cmp271]

I support this strike. These writers get gypped out of alot of money. Every time there is a repeat, its shown on line, dvd, vcr, etc, someone makes money off it. Why shouldn''t they be compensated for their work.

As for firing them, why would anyone step up and be a writer? The Air Traffic Controlers were a totally separate issue, they affected lives directly. If all we could watch were re runs from the 50''s and 60''s and even the 70''s we would have enough to keep America entertained on their fat arses for awhile. why not take this as a hint to go outside and play for awhile, take a walk around the neighborhood. Do we really need writers? Think of the strike as also helping your health.

they do deserve their full cut.

[briansgirl2]

Well, I remember when the air traffic controllers went on strike - - - President Reagan fired ALL OF THEM!!!!

[misssuzq]

The suits are shooting themsleves in the foot - the revenue lost during this strike will probably surpass what they finally decide to give to the writers.

[justfacts2]

With so many people who would give ANYTHING to have a job, I feel no sympathy for these greedy ba$****$! If they don''t want a job or they don''t want to work, then I feel like ALL of them need to be fired! Period! They make too much money to begin with for no more than they do.