A strike has hit Hollywood at the moment, and is taking up plenty of column inches. The Writers' Guild of America (WGA) has shut up shop as they want a bigger share of DVD profits, or something. What this has meant is that many US chat shows have already been cancelled indefinitely, a lot of major TV dramas are in trouble (such as 24) as new episodes are not allowed to be written, and no more scripts are allowed to be submitted to the film studios.
Inevitably this led to a mass of scripts being rushed to completion in time for the deadline before the strike started. The problem is, scripts tend to be modified continuously during production, but with the writers on strike now, no modifications are allowed to the scripts. If they're not right, tough. Due to this, a few big films have already been postponed, most notably the Da Vinci Code sequel Angels & Demons (perhaps not a bad thing). Although the strike shouldn't affect moviegoers for the time being, if it continues for a considerable length of time there will be a noticeable reduction in the number of films reaching cinemas. 2008's blockbusters are mostly locked and in the can already, but 2009's are a different story. We could be in for a barren patch.
For obvious reasons, many have forecasted a time of doom and gloom for the industry if the worst fears are played out. Last time a strike was threatened in 2001 (but one didn't actually happen back then), it resulted in a batch of less than stellar product, such as Tomb Raider and the clearly rushed Jurassic Park III. We could be in for another wave of rushed blockbusters, including Bond 22 - the script for which writer Paul Haggis has said that he's not entirely satisfied with - and the much-maligned Justice League of America movie, featuring Batman, Superman and a bunch of other DC heroes, but intended to be completely separate from the Batman Begins and Superman Returns franchises, which is rumoured to be having difficulties.
Well, I'm here to offer a glass-half-full perspective. The effects of this strike do not have to be all bad. (For example, if JLA was called off, that may not be the worst development.) It would prevent debacles like Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End from occurring - as mentioned in an earlier blog post, that went into production completely devoid of a script, and the writers were forced to make it up as they went along, which had a profoundly detrimental impact on the eventual film. Now, with no writers allowed to work, no film can be greenlit without a pre-existing script that is at least filmable, if not of particularly great quality.
The unavoidable eventuality if the strike continues is that the number of films released will decrease, but this will most affect the big-budget output, for which scripts tend to be an afterthought. Scripts for lower-budget or independent fare are often refined and shopped around the studios for months or years, and then require relatively few alterations. The Coen brothers are famous for this; once they finish a script, they barely change a word, and even generally prevent the actors from diverting from it at all.
With fewer blockbusters to promote (this summer in particular was overflowing with huge releases, week after week), it could give smaller films a bigger chance at grabbing the spotlight. What's more, the studios will surely be keen for such films to make significant profits so may lavish a higher marketing budget than usual on them. I would argue that a significant reason that blockbusters make the big bucks is simply due to advertising and public awareness rather than content. Give smaller films more attention and their grosses will undoubtedly increase, especially if backed up with critical acclaim.
Hollywood may have more to worry about in a few months' time, however. Then the actors are due to go on strike. I do not intend to suggest that a strike is an ideal situation for anyone, but it could add an extra incentive to enhance the quality of the studios' films as there is more riding on each one. There may be an interesting time ahead.
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