WGA Strike Threatens #22

Loeffelholz

The Writer's Guild of America could take a walk on 1st November 2007, when their current agreement expires, potentially threatening work on Bond #22---to say nothing of every other film currently in pre-prod or development:

http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=5448

Apparently, it had been assumed that the WGA would hold off until next summer (when #22 ought to have been mostly 'in the can'), and join the Director's Guild of America and the Screen Actor's Guild when their own contracts are due to expire---but, alas, it looks as if the writers will (literally) strike first...

At issue are "royalties from sales of moves over the internet and on DVD, which are not covered in the current deal between the various guilds."

As a writer, I'm a firm believer that the creation of all intellectual property ought to be protected---and properly compensated---but I also hate to see something like the new Bond film potentially delayed as a result

Hopefully an agreement can be reached, and a strike can be averted.

darenhat

That could mean no Purvis, Wade, or Haggis (which might have some people around here rejoicing).

On the other hand, last time there was a writer's strike we got LTK (which might have those same people in a state of panic).

Perhaps the next Bond title will be The Lesser of Two Evils

Loeffelholz

With any luck, the shooting script can be wrapped up by the end of this month, and Michael Wilson won't have anything to do :v

emtiem

Bond 22 is on Columbia's priority list of films to get finished before the strike, along with AGAINST ALL ENEMIES; ANGELS AND DEMONS; BROTHERS; JULIE AND JULIA; NICK AND NORAH's; SEVEN POUNDS; STEP BROTHERS; THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123; and YEAR ONE. Whatever they all are.
Bit worried about a Pelham remake, but there you go. There are worse on the list (The Day the Earth Stood Still and Barbarella for example!).

Loeffelholz

Bond should wrap before the DGA and SAG strike next summer...but a strike by the writers---while it's still in pre-prod, in November '07---could throw all those plans out the window.

It's a concern---but if the script can be finished before the WGA strikes, perhaps Eon can 'thread the needle.'

frostbitten

emtiem wrote:

Bond 22 is on Columbia's priority list of films to get finished before the strike, along with AGAINST ALL ENEMIES; ANGELS AND DEMONS; BROTHERS; JULIE AND JULIA; NICK AND NORAH's; SEVEN POUNDS; STEP BROTHERS; THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123; and YEAR ONE. Whatever they all are.

I didn't even know that Angels and Demons is being made into a film. I really love that book (I think it's better than The Da Vinci Code), and can't wait to see the movie.

Loeffelholz

frostbitten wrote:

emtiem wrote:

Bond 22 is on Columbia's priority list of films to get finished before the strike, along with AGAINST ALL ENEMIES; ANGELS AND DEMONS; BROTHERS; JULIE AND JULIA; NICK AND NORAH's; SEVEN POUNDS; STEP BROTHERS; THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123; and YEAR ONE. Whatever they all are.

I didn't even know that Angels and Demons is being made into a film. I really love that book (I think it's better than The Da Vinci Code), and can't wait to see the movie.

And I wonder if 'Nick and Norah's' has anything to do with a remake of The Thin Man...?

I do hope the strike can be averted...

EDIT: On that note, I have an unhappy update, gleaned from MI6, which says that production on Bond #22 has been pushed back until 7 January 2008

http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=5458

taity

I believe Casino 's strat date was pushed back by about 2 weeks. It happened when they realised that they didnt need the extra time or something.

Now whilst Bond 22's start date may be pushed back, they two things may not be related. Purely coincidental.

darenhat

Reading a bit about the the disagreements on the WGA website, it would appear that writer's have been trying to avert this strike for some time, but keep having their proposals thrown back in their face, and in some cases, being handed counter-proposals that actually retract some of their progress over the last decade or so.

I don't care if they strike or not, but I hope the writer's get every penny they demand in the end. They deserve it!

darenhat

The most recent release from the Writer's Guild (from Oct. 16). Progress, albeit small, but ther's still a ways to go before averting the strike...

“Today, the AMPTP took one of its many rollbacks off the table. We welcome that, and hope it means the Companies are ready to begin serious negotiations. The remaining rollbacks would gut our contract and will never be acceptable to writers. Moving forward, we have extremely important issues to deal with, including new media, home video, jurisdiction, and enforcement. By maintaining our resolve, we will come out of these negotiations with a good contract that not only benefits writers, but the entire entertainment industry and the communities that depend on it.”

Loeffelholz

darenhat wrote:

I don't care if they strike or not, but I hope the writer's get every penny they demand in the end. They deserve it!

I'm with you there, dh...but I hope they can do it without a work stoppage---especially if the new Bond film is a potential casualty

I'm generally pessimistic when it comes to labour relations, though, having seen my father endure a couple of tough, prolonged strikes when he worked for one of the major phone companies back in the '70s. Ultimately, things get hammered out...but in the meantime, nobody wins---especially, in this case, Bond fans

John Drake

Wasn't there a writer's strike a few years ago?

Tee Hee

The latest from CBN:


http://commanderbond.net/article/4615


"The Los Angeles Times carries an excellent report on the effect the potential Writers Guild strike could have upon Hollywood’s upcoming slate. Last week, the guild voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike if contract negotiations with studios and networks fail.

The report notes that Paul Haggis, who is writing the next James Bond film, is currently “ploughing through” the script, in light of the fact a strike could occur as early as 1 November. With the guild’s contract due to expire on 31 October, the Oscar-winner could potentially have less than a week to turn in the Bond 22’s script."


Good to know that Bond 22 is on the studio's list of priorities, however I can't help but wonder how this will effect the quality of the script. Especially if the film's plot has recently been "tossed out." Will Haggis be able to get it all together by Halloween?

I'd much prefer that Haggis take his time and give us his best. But apparently the clock is ticking...

Loeffelholz

Tee Hee wrote:

The latest from CBN:


http://commanderbond.net/article/4615


"The Los Angeles Times carries an excellent report on the effect the potential Writers Guild strike could have upon Hollywood’s upcoming slate. Last week, the guild voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike if contract negotiations with studios and networks fail.

The report notes that Paul Haggis, who is writing the next James Bond film, is currently “ploughing through” the script, in light of the fact a strike could occur as early as 1 November. With the guild’s contract due to expire on 31 October, the Oscar-winner could potentially have less than a week to turn in the Bond 22’s script."


Good to know that Bond 22 is on the studio's list of priorities, however I can't help but wonder how this will effect the quality of the script. Especially if the film's plot has recently been "tossed out." Will Haggis be able to get it all together by Halloween?

I'd much prefer that Haggis take his time and give us his best. But apparently the clock is ticking...

I think Haggis will hand a script to Eon before the deadline...and if it doesn't measure up to expectations created by CR, the strike will surely be blamed

I recently talked to my brother (a SAG member) about entertainment industry strikes, and he conveyed his concern that---even if a shooting script is produced before 1st November, and Bond #22 lenses on schedule in the first week of January '08---there could be issues which might threaten a November '08 release:

Say the WGA strikes on 1st November. If Eon already has a shooting script, no problem...but the Director's Guild of America and the Screen Actor's Guild are due to strike in July '08...and even if they get the film 'in the can' before then, there's a real question whether Marc Forster could sit in the editing room and/or supervise any post-prod on #22.

Also, given the possibility that everyone from grips to film editors might be in the DGA, the editor's services might not be available either...mind you, I'm not certain whether this is actually the case---but it would be doubly frustrating to know that even when shooting's complete, the newest Bond film could be stuck in post-production purgatory until labour issues are resolved

If work stoppages do occur, I hope they're brief

Honey Rider

Apparently Ron Howard has brought forward production of the Da Vinci Code prequel Angels & Demons due to the upcoming strike.

frostbitten

Honey Rider wrote:

Apparently Ron Howard has brought forward production of the Da Vinci Code prequel Angels & Demons due to the upcoming strike.

The sooner this film comes out the better. I can't wait to see it (provided that Tom Hanks doesn't play Robert Langdon again )

taity

bad news then frostbiten

Honey Rider

Frostbitten, you are indeed going to be disappointed. Tom Hanks has signed on to play Langdon once again. (I personally don't mind Hanks, but then again I'm not a big fan of The Da Vinci Code, so it doesn't really concern me either way.)

John Drake

Honey Rider wrote:

Frostbitten, you are indeed going to be disappointed. Tom Hanks has signed on to play Langdon once again.

Please tell me he's getting a better haircut this time though. )

spectre7

I thought Hanks was OK, and was hardly one of the major problems with that film.

I'm not sure how the strike could affect Bond, as writing duties really ought to have been completed long ago for pre-production duties to begin properly.

taity

I dunno, I think that usually writers stay on projects until post production. I know in DAD the writers were still writing on days when things were being filmed.

Tee Hee

According to CBN, Haggis's script for Bond 22 has been turned in, only days before the WGA strike is supposedly expected to begin.


http://commanderbond.net/article/4626

Although the writing stage is now complete, we're still not entirely in the clear. What affect, if any, will the strike have on the film's actual production? Cross your fingers and say your prayers.

darenhat

My last glance at the WGA website implied that talks were temporarily stalled, and weren't to reconvene until today (I think), leaving only a couple of days to reconcile a lot of ground. It looks like a strike is very eminent.

Good news abut the Bond 22 script. Although my fear is that it might have been rushed, and it might be difficult to do any polishing until the strike is done.

The one thing about a writer's strike is that a writer never really quits writing (at least in their head). By the time the strike (if it happens) ends, Haggis might have lots of good ideas to bring to the script.

Loeffelholz

Tee Hee wrote:

According to CBN, Haggis's script for Bond 22 has been turned in, only days before the WGA strike is supposedly expected to begin.


http://commanderbond.net/article/4626

Although the writing stage is now complete, we're still not entirely in the clear. What affect, if any, will the strike have on the film's actual production? Cross your fingers and say your prayers.

Great news, that. As I posted previously, the biggest strike threat to #22 (now that they have a shooting script) will be the Director's Guild, if they walk next July. My brother's concern (which I now share!) is that it might prevent the director and editor from conducting post-production once it's 'in the can'

darenhat

Well, the WGA contract has officially expired with no resolution. At this stage, the writers are only 'threatening' to strike, but are willing to make a final effort to resolve the issue, and some writers may be willing to work without a contract until negotiations utterly breakdown. Daily programs and talk shows will be the first ones to suffer and will be forced to show repeats until the issues are resolved.

If there's any polishing that needs to be done to the Bond 22 script, the writers may be able to get them done before or after a strike.

There is still the large and looming issue of DVD royalties to be resolved. I wonder how this will effect future DVD releases if there is no contract currently with which to divide the profits?

Loeffelholz

darenhat wrote:

If there's any polishing that needs to be done to the Bond 22 script, the writers may be able to get them done before or after a strike.

I've also read that, should a strike commence, various actors in the midst of production might get a shot at script tweaking if and when it's needed...Daniel Craig will be sharpening his pencil

darenhat wrote:

There is still the large and looming issue of DVD royalties to be resolved. I wonder how this will effect future DVD releases if there is no contract currently with which to divide the profits?

That's a good question...

darenhat

It's official (kinda):

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,307491,00.html

Writers have agreed to strike...Apparently, they are determining 'when and how' the strike is to be carried out.

darenhat

Monday's the day:

LOS ANGELES — Film and TV writers prepared to go on strike Monday for the first time in two decades to break what has become a high-stakes stalemate with the world's largest media companies over profits from DVDs and programming on the Internet.

Writers Guild of America board members voted unanimously Friday to begin the strike at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time (3:01 a.m. EST) unless studios offered a more lucrative deal with a bigger cut from video sales and shows sold or streamed over the Web.

"The studios made it clear that they would rather shut down this town than reach a fair and reasonable deal," Patric Verrone, president of the western chapter of the guild, said at a news conference.

The union said it would stage its first pickets in New York and Los Angeles after strike captains meet Saturday to finalize details.

Both sides agreed late Friday to meet with a federal mediator on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to avoid a strike. The meeting will take place at a neutral location to be determined, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said.

Earlier in the day, J. Nicholas Counter, president of the producers' group, called the writers' strike "precipitous and irresponsible" in a prepared statement.

Producers believe progress can be made on other issues but "it makes absolutely no sense to increase the burden of this additional compensation" involving DVDs and the Internet, he said.

Last year alone, members of the western chapter of the guild were paid $56 million in additional compensation from DVD residuals, he said.

Counter declined a request by The Associated Press for further comment.

Among other media giants, the alliance represents CBS Corp.; NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; and The Walt Disney Co., owner of the ABC network.

The negotiations began in July and were joined this week by a federal mediator.

"We are committed to seeing this through and are willing to engage in any further discussions if the studios so desire," Verrone said.

The first casualty of the strike would be late-night talk shows, which are dependent on current events to fuel monologues and other entertainment.

"The Tonight Show" on NBC will go into reruns starting Monday if last-ditch negotiations fail and a strike begins, according to a network official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person lacked authorization to comment publicly.

Garth Brooks and Tommy Lee Jones were the scheduled guests.

Comedy Central has said "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" would likely go into repeats as well.

A message left seeking CBS comment on plans for "The Late Show with David Letterman" in New York was not immediately returned Friday evening.

During the 1988 writers strike, Letterman, then host of NBC's "Late Night," and longtime "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson initially went off the air but later returned as the walkout dragged on for 22 weeks and cost the industry about $500 million.

Daytime TV, including live talk shows such as "The View" and soap operas, which typically tape about a week's worth of shows in advance, would be next to feel the impact.

The strike will not immediately impact production of movies or prime-time TV programs. Most studios have stockpiled dozens of movie scripts, and TV shows have enough scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year.

There could be widespread disruptions in Hollywood as other unions support the writers.

Officials with the Screen Actors Guild have told members they must report for work but encouraged them to join picket lines during their off-time.

A similar message came from the head of a local Teamsters union. However, those workers were told they were protected by law from employer retribution if they honored strike lines.

John Bowman, chief negotiator for the writers guild and the producer on an upcoming TBS show "Frank, TV," said he would not cross picket lines, even if it cost his job.

"Unfortunately we have to inflict as much damage as we can as soon as possible in order to get this thing over," he said.

The economic impact of a strike is hard to estimate because not all production will be halted at once, economists said.

"There definitely will be pain," said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.

The entertainment industry contributes about $30 billion a year to the Los Angeles economy, or about $80 million a day, he said.

Talks between writers and producers will likely impact upcoming negotiations between the studios and unions representing actors and directors.

All those unions believe revenue from content offered on the Internet, cell phones and other platforms will grow tremendously in the years ahead, even though it's now minuscule compared to DVD sales.

Consumers are expected to spend $16.4 billion on DVDs this year, according to Adams Media Research.

By contrast, studios could generate about $158 million from selling movies online and about $194 million from selling TV shows over the Web.

The strike was first announced Thursday night at a meeting attended by 3,000 union members whose moods ranged from defiant to somber.

jetsetwilly

The last time the WGA went on strike was in 1988, and it torpedoed the nascent LTK script; though an early draft had been prepared by Mickey & Maibaum, it hadn't been completed. As a member of the union, Maibaum went on strike, but Wilson wasn't a member and went on to write the script virtually single handed (though he graciously insisted that Maibaum still got a credit).

Basically, what I'm getting at, is that even if the script wasn't 100% complete, there is a member of the crew with extensive Bond screenwriting experience who will be able to give it the once over and tidy up the rough edges (as he reportedly did on both Moonraker and GoldenEye).

blueman

Just cuz he's done it doesn't mean he's good at it. And he's not. Much prefer, well, anyone over Wilson.

Loeffelholz

jetsetwilly wrote:

The last time the WGA went on strike was in 1988, and it torpedoed the nascent LTK script; though an early draft had been prepared by Mickey & Maibaum, it hadn't been completed. As a member of the union, Maibaum went on strike, but Wilson wasn't a member and went on to write the script virtually single handed (though he graciously insisted that Maibaum still got a credit).

Basically, what I'm getting at, is that even if the script wasn't 100% complete, there is a member of the crew with extensive Bond screenwriting experience who will be able to give it the once over and tidy up the rough edges (as he reportedly did on both Moonraker and GoldenEye).

I certainly hope it was 99.999% done. As a screenwriter, Mr. Wilson is a very capable producer.