Stranger Things fans have reason to celebrate, as the Writers Guild strike is on the brink of resolution following a successful agreement reached with the studios.
The prolonged WGA strike had left many anxious about the future of their favorite show. However, the recent breakthrough in negotiations between the writers and the studios has brought a lot of joy. With the strike poised to come to an end, it appears that the show's creators can now resume the production of season 5.
The strike has been going on for 146 days since the strike which makes it the longest in Hollywood history. On Sunday, the WGA, which represents Hollywood’s writers, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a collective of Hollywood's major studios and production companies, jointly revealed the long-awaited news of a reached agreement.
“What we have won in this contract — most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd — is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days. It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal.”
On May 6, 2023, the Duffer Brothers announced that the commencement of production for Stranger Things season 5 would remain on hold until the resolution of the WGA strike. Stranger Things season 5 filming was reported to be starting in May.
Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out. #wgastrong
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) May 6, 2023
There have been reports about the construction of sets for Stranger Things season 5. It looks like some work may still be in progress even in the absence of writers and actors. If it had not been for the strike, the filming for Stranger Things season 5 would have been in full swing. But that has not happened and as we find ourselves in September 2023, the cast and crew behind the Netflix original series are still eagerly awaiting the green light to commence production.
Now that the writers strike is about to end, does it mean that filming for Stranger Things season 5 will start? Well, you have to remember that actors have also been on strike since mid-July. As long as there is no agreement between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA, the actors will remain on strike. But the deal with writers might help them find a solution as well. It's clear that, for various reasons, most production activities cannot resume until this strike concludes. However, with the latest advancements, there's reason to be optimistic that the actors' strike will resolve itself soon.
With the ending of writers strike it is likely that the Stranger Things writing team will commence their work on season 5. But the start of filming will take some time as these things don't happen overnight. The lengthy strike has resulted in unavoidable delays and setbacks which means that season 5 will not be out anytime soon.
