The fourth season of Stranger Things, a series that successfully blends the 1980s culture and science fiction horror genre, was released last year after a long hiatus due to the pandemic. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the fifth season to watch the residents of Hawkins face off against the Upside Down.
However, show creators and producers Matt and Ross Duffer have announced that production of the fifth season has been halted due to a writers strike. The Duffer Brothers, in a statement on the official Stranger Writers Twitter account, stated that the writing did not stop when the shooting started and that was not possible during the strike. They also said they were hopeful for a fair deal to the writers and were waiting to be able to return to work.
What is the writers’ strike and why did it begin?
The Writers’ Strike began on May 2 after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) failed to reach an agreement in talks with the Film and Television Producers Association (AMPTP), which represents major companies such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney. The Writers Guild voiced its demands for higher pay, more stable writers’ rooms, and better health insurance:
“We negotiated to get a fair deal, but the studios’ offer was completely inadequate given the existential crisis the writers were facing. We have to use maximum leverage and hold back our workforce to get a fair contract.”
Stranger Things season five may not be the last series to be delayed due to the strike. Long-awaited movies like Blade remake and Community: The Movie were also stopped due to the strike. On the other hand, some studios and productions were able to continue despite the strike.
These include season two of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, season two of HBO’s House of the Dragon, and season two of Disney+’s Andor. Let’s hope Stranger Things season five is both a fair deal for WGA members and continues without the lengthy delays of season four.
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