The writers’ strike is affecting many projects in tinsel town. Shows that are said to have been delayed include upcoming anticipated seasons for Cobra Kai and House of the Dragon. There are even some currently in production that are getting a shake-up if not fully delayed. The Hollywood Reporter has recently broke that Tony Gilroy, the creator and showrunner for Disney+’s Star Wars series, Andor, has announced that he has ceased producing duties for the show, which is currently in production for season 2, after Gilroy had been accused of being a scab by another writer.
Gilroy has released a statement that addresses his cessation of producing duties on the second season of Andor. The statement reads, “I discontinued all writing and writing-related work on Andor prior to midnight, May 1. After being briefed on the Saturday showrunner meeting, I informed Chris Keyser at the WGA on Sunday morning that I would also be ceasing all non-writing producing functions.” Keyser, the co-chair of the negotiating committee for the Writer’s Guild of America, corroborated Gilroy’s claims. Lucasfilm, the studio producing Andor, had declined to make a comment.
This is in response to a post made by another writer who called out Gilroy for scabbing during the strike. Abdullah Saeed, known for creating the Onyx Collective comedy Deli Boys for Hulu, fingered Gilroy in his post on May 8, “This is scabbing. There’s no way a writer/producer can ‘finish’ writing and begin solely producing. And if the scripts truly are finished, let’s see ’em. If there’s one word different in the finished product, kick Tony Gilroy out of the WGA. One of the biggest writers in Hollywood could stand with his union and halt production on his hit show, thereby by forcing a major studio to consider WGA demands a little harder. Instead, he has chosen to be a SCAB! We all want Andor s2, but not at the cost of fairness to writers. #wgastrong”
The studios, which includes Disney, recently sent out letters to showrunners that demand that they continue to proceed with their non-writing services, which they are contractually obligated, on their respective series amid the writers’ strike. In response, the Writers’ Guild referred to this strategy as “union-busting tactics.” In addition, they said that such services, including cutting for time, small changes to dialogue or narration made before or during production, and “changes in technical or stage directions,” are duties guild members are also prohibited from doing during the strike. Gilroy claims not to have done any of this, as he has not been on set for season 2 since the strike started on May 2.