Exciting news about the Justin Baldoni-directed film, It Ends with Us! The movie stars Blake Lively and Baldoni, but unfortunately, production has come to a halt due to the ongoing WGA strike. Despite less than half of the movie being completed, the WGA was not convinced that the co-financing status of Wayfarer Studios was enough to consider the production within WGA guidelines. This is a result of the strike that is likely to continue until the AMPTP and WGA negotiators meet. As a result, around 140 crew members are currently out of work.
The film’s shoot in parts of New Jersey was disrupted, and a temporary halt was called while the film’s producers tried to persuade the WGA. However, the WGA disagreed, and crew members were delivered the news via email from Wayfarer and Justin Baldoni. The email expressed gratitude for the crew’s patience and dedication throughout this challenging period.
While the crew is understandably upset, they also respect the WGA picket situation. The hope is that the producers will talk to the writers and get them back to the negotiating table so that everyone can get back to work. The strike is beginning to empty restaurants and imperil other businesses that rely on the industry, so it’s time for the WGA and AMPTP to get in a room and lock the door until a deal is made.
There are legitimate gripes the WGA has, including residuals and the likelihood that the continued development and sophistication of AI programs might well partly automate the writing of scripts, which the writers feel will lessen their ranks and hamper the growth of young scribes. While this might hold appeal for the tech-backed signatories trying to impress Wall Street with cost-cutting maneuvers, it could be disastrous for the creative ecosystem. But nothing good can happen until the sides sit across from each other and reach a compromise.
Let’s hope that a resolution is reached soon so that production on It Ends with Us can resume and the crew can get back to doing what they love.
