The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have gravely affected the operations in Hollywood. In the midst of the events, reports of Universal Studio Group suspending deals with production companies have also made headlines. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the studios have suspended its existing deals with Dwayne Johnson helmed Seven Bucks Productions as well as Lorne Michael’s Broadway Video studio.
Dwayne Johnson’s production, Seven Bucks production was co-founded by him along with Dany Garcia just a decade ago. The company boasts an extensive portfolio of movie and TV show productions, including Young Rock and Tales from the Territories.
Why did Universal Studios suspend their contract with Dwayne Johnson’s production?
Universal Studio Group, along with its various divisions such as Universal Television, Universal Content Productions, and Universal Pictures, reached out to its partner production companies to explore the possibility of offering non-writing services.
Hence, the partners who were engaged in active scripted or unscripted projects and were ready to provide non-writing services were not affected by this suspension. However, companies like Dwayne Johnson’s, which had either completed their production work or were unwilling to extend their services beyond writing, experienced the severance of their contracts.
The ongoing WGA strikes, demanding adequate compensation for writers, and questioning the use of Artificial Intelligence in the writing process have left a significant impact on the entertainment industry. Moreover, the suspension of the deal with Seven Bucks Productions underscores the impact of the Writers Guild strike on the entertainment industry, as production companies grapple with the demands and expectations of the striking writers.
Although it is expected that Johnson’s contract with the Fast and Furious production studio will once again be renewed when the strikes end, there is no official confirmation regarding the same yet. Johnson will be next seen in the studio’s Hobbs spinoff (character of Fast and Furious) alongside Jason Mamoa.
Warner Bros. also suspended high-profile writer deals amid ongoing strikes
A significant escalation in the ongoing dispute between Hollywood production houses and writers came when Warner Bros. suspended its deals with high-profile writers including J.J. Abrams, Mindy Kaling, Bill Lawrence, and Greg Berlanti.
The move came as a surprise to many as earlier the studio’s strategy encompassed shielding Kaling and Abrams to maintain their goodwill with the creators amidst labor disputes. Though the spokesperson of Warner Bros. refused to provide any statement on the matter, The New York Times reported Warner Bros’ chief executive David Zaslav’s comments during a Goldman Sachs event.
“We are trying to get this resolved in a way that’s really fair and everyone feels fairly treated. Having said that, in our guidance, we said that this would be resolved by September. And here we are in September. This is really a very unusual event — the last time it happened was 1960.”
It is worth noting that even though top-tier writers like Kaling and Abrams do have contractual safeguards to ensure their compensation, Warner Bros has employed a strategy of “suspend and extend” as per which the studio will halt the payments for the duration of the strike. Reportedly, the contracts would resume and be extended for an equivalent period when the strikes end.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
