The Writers Guild of America strike has been in action since May 2023, leaving the future of countless shows thrown into question due to the ongoing dispute over fair wages and concerns over AI taking over roles. As such, here are some of the shows that will definitely experience delays due to the ongoing strike action…
Outlander
Outlander season 8 - and the spin-off series Blood of My Blood is one of the shows impacted by the strikes. Executive producer Maria Davis confirmed that, while they had done some work for season 8, the writers’ room has since stopped all work on the show.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Elisabeth Moss’ hit show was originally planned to begin filming in the late summer, but according to the dystopian drama’s co-showrunner Yahlin Chang, all writing for the final season was halted when the strike began.
Euphoria
While fans already had a long wait for the new season of Euphoria, it has been pushed back to 2025 due to the strike action. HBO executive Francesca Orsi told Deadline: "Euphoria is one of those that we had begun writing in tandem with post-production on [The Idol] but at this point, we don’t have countless scripts. We can’t start shooting, so the delivery of that show — ideally in 2025 — will be determined on when we can pick back up with Sam [Levinson], who at this point is all pencils down and just finishing posts on Idol."
Although there is no official word from HBO, fans have also speculated that the show may not return at all following the very sad death of one of its stars, Angus Cloud, who passed away in August aged 25.
Emily in Paris
The hit Netflix show was originally supposed to begin filming in the late summer of 2023, but it has been delayed by two months in the hopes of the strike being resolved. According to Variety, they are hoping to film in autumn instead, with actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu saying: “[Plans are on hold] a little bit. We’re waiting for it to be resolved. We’ll see how it settles!"
Stranger Things
The Duffer Brothers confirmed that Stranger Things would be delayed as long as the strike continues. Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, they wrote: "Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong."
Severance
Production was shut down on season two of the hit Apple TV+ show, with writer Adam Conniver tweeting: "Hey Apple: no more eps of your hit show about workers using collective action to fight back against an exploitative tech company until you give your real-life workers a fair deal. THANK YOU to the Teamsters and IATSE crew who honoured our picket line!"
Cobra Kai
Fans of the karate show might have a while to wait, as the writers' room is closed. Co-creator Jon Hurwitz tweeted: "Pencils down in the Cobra Kai writers' room. No writers on set. These aren’t fun times, but it’s unfortunately necessary."