Strike! Wicked, Gladiator 2, and More Major Productions That Are Likely to Shut Down
The vast majority of scripted film and TV that was in production earlier this year shut down on May 2, when the Writers Guild went on strike. Now, with the Screen Actors Guild joining them, filming anything—with a few exceptions—has become entirely impossible. Nearly every in-production TV show and film will be delayed indefinitely until the strikes are resolved, with the exception of truly independent projects that are not made, distributed, or financed by major studios.
So, which specific shows and movies will be affected by the actors strike? Below, find a list of things that have been in production that will now likely be forced to shut down. We will continue to update this list as news develops.
American Horror Story
American Horror Story was easily the most infamous of the shows that remained in production after the WGA strike, thanks to showrunner Ryan Murphy—a WGA member who did not follow the lead of other high-profile showrunners, keeping the series in production rather than shutting it down right away. (Some credit also goes to star Kim Kardashian and her failure to read the room.) The New York production has long been a target for WGA picket lines; “We’re not here in protest of Ryan Murphy, the guy. We’re here in protest of production happening without writers and while writers are on strike,” comedian and WGA leader Josh Gondelman told The New York Times last week.
This American Horror Story season, the show’s 12th, is subtitled “Delicate” and also costars Murphy stalwart Emma Roberts. The season is based on an upcoming novel, Delicate Condition, described in a cover blurb as “the feminist update to Rosemary’s Baby we all needed.” Murphy had also reportedly been overseeing production of the third season of the spinoff American Horror Stories.
Andor
The second season of the Star Wars series began production back in November and had been scheduled to wrap in August, powering through the writers strike even with creator Tony Gilroy staying away from set in solidarity with the WGA. “There’s an amazing team of people over there, and our scripts were done before I left,” Gilroy told Vanity Fair the day the first season received eight Emmy nominations. “So, I’m hoping for the best.”
Apples Never Fall
Peacock’s miniseries adaptation of a novel by Liane Moriarty (author of Big Little Lies) was scheduled to begin production in Australia in the spring. The series stars Annette Bening as a woman who disappears and upends the lives of her family; Sam Neill, Alison Brie, and Jake Lacy are also part of the cast.
Beetlejuice 2
Jenna Ortega was photographed on set in Vermont just this week in costume as the daughter of Lydia Deetz, the character played by Winona Ryder in the original film. Both actors were also seen on set last week for a wedding scene. Currently set for September 2024 release, the film also has Tim Burton returning to direct and Michael Keaton back as the famous poltergeist.
Deadpool 3
Marvel Studios pressed pause on several productions after the writers strike began in May, but went forward with Deadpool 3, which has been filming in London. Getting out just ahead of the actors strike, stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman posted first-look images of their characters in costume on Monday, and were photographed on set together that day. Reynolds, a WGA member and a credited writer on the film, was forced to work only as an actor under the writers strike rules, avoiding the improvisation that has defined his previous work as the character. Though as Deadpool’s comics creator, Rob Liefeld, pointed out on Twitter last month, that might be something they actually can fix in post.
Another Marvel project that powered through the writers strike, Captain America: Brave New World, wrapped principal photography at the end of June, so it won’t need to shut down—though the reshoots that are often part of the process on Marvel films may have to wait a while.
Gladiator 2
Speaking of long-awaited sequels: Ridley Scott had recently started production in Morocco for his follow-up to the best-picture-winning Gladiator, with Paul Mescal starring alongside Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Fred Hechinger. One video from the set shared last month suggested it’s a pretty massive operation that will likely now be shut down. The film is currently set for a November 22, 2024, release.
Paddington in Peru
In the simpler days of April, when there was just one strike on the horizon, the producers of the third Paddington film announced that production would begin on July 24. As of late June, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, Rachel Zegler, and Emily Mortimer were reportedly in talks to join the cast, which has Ben Whishaw returning as the voice of Paddington.
Wicked
The lavish, two-part musical adaptation has been in production in the UK for many months, unveiling its moody first-look images of stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande back in April. The first installment was scheduled for release on November 27, 2024, with the second to come almost exactly a year later.
This article originally appeared in Vanity Fair.
