Summary
- After the Writers Guild of America strike, Stranger Things and Fast & Furious 11 are top priority titles for studios.
- The strike addressed issues of fair compensation, AI regulation, and streaming residuals through a tentative agreement with AMPTP.
- Netflix is focusing on writing for Stranger Things season 5, while Universal sees Fast & Furious 11 as a key part of the franchise’s finale.
Which Delayed Movie & TV Titles Will Be Back First?
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, lasting from May 2 through September 27, has put Stranger Things and Fast & Furious 11 at the top of studios’ priority list. The strike addressed concerns of fair compensation, AI regulation, and streaming residuals, resulting in a tentative agreement with AMPTP. Now that the strike is over, writers can resume their work.
According to Variety, various studios have identified specific projects they want to prioritize while they wait for the end of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strike and the resume of production. For Netflix, this includes writing for Stranger Things season 5 and Wednesday season 2. Meanwhile, Universal is focusing on Fast & Furious 11, considering it an integral part of the franchise’s multi-part finale.
The report also highlights the priority projects of other companies, such as Paramount (Star Trek, Rainbow Six) and Warner Bros (The Batman 2) in the movie sector, and ABC (Abbott Elementary, Grey’s Anatomy) and Fox (9-1-1: Lone Star, Law & Order, Chicago, and FBI) in television.
While these projects will gradually pick up pace in the coming weeks, they won’t all premiere simultaneously. Netflix’s approach involves completing production and post-production for an entire season at once, leading to longer gaps between wrapping production and the show’s premiere date. While some major blockbusters already have scheduled release dates, they are still a considerable distance into the future, and delays are always a possibility (The Batman 2 is set for October 3, 2025).
Assuming the SAG-AFTRA strike concludes within the next month, it’s unlikely that Stranger Things or Fast & Furious 11 will be the first projects available to the general public. The initial signs of the industry’s return to normalcy will likely be network television shows. Although shows like Abbott Elementary, Law & Order, and others may have to produce shorter seasons to make up for lost time, the quick turnaround of network television will enable them to premiere during the midseason.
Source: Variety
