Andor creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy has ceased all producing services on the Star Wars series amid the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) ongoing strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Gilroy responded to criticism he received from a fellow WGA member for continuing to perform non-writing duties on Disney+’s Andor during the strike. Gilroy says he has not been on the Star Wars show’s set since the strike began on May 2. “I discontinued all writing and writing-related work on Andor prior to midnight, May 1,” Gilroy’s statement reads. “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 confirmed to THR that said conversation indeed took place. Meanwhile, Lucasfilm — Andor‘s production company — declined to comment on the matter.
The WGA West and WGA East unanimously approved the ongoing strike after contract negotiations with the AMPTP broke down. The WGA is seeking better pay for writers, as well as increased job security, bigger writers’ rooms and for limits to be placed on how artificial intelligence is used in the writing process.
Gilroy recently confirmed that writing on Andor‘s second and final season had been completed prior to the WGA strike. However, it was later reported that while Gilroy was no longer writing for Andor, nor was he on the show’s set, he was continuing to perform casting and music-related duties as a producer. Deli Boys writer Abdullah Saeed took exception to this, singling out Gilroy in an instagram post.
“This is scabbing,” Saeed wrote. “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.” Saeed has since made a new post in response to THR‘s update, writing, “Wow. Thank you Tony Gilroy for halting production on [Andor]. See you on the picket line!”
Notably, it’s also been reported that a number of studios — including Disney — have sent letters to producers, demanding they continue to perform their non-writing duties during the WGA strike, despite whatever fines they may incur for doing so. The WGA has decried this as a “union-busting” tactic, saying that things like cutting for time, small changes to dialogue or narration made before or during production and “changes in technical or stage directions” are services members are prohibited from performing during the strike. On that note, Gilroy says he was not performing any of these duties.
Andor Season 2 Is Slated for 2024
Andor premiered on Disney+ in September 2022. The series serves as a direct prequel to Disney and Lucasfilm’s 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, with Diego Luna reprising his role as Cassian Andor. Andor Season 1 was met with widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike, with many praising the show’s mature take on the Star Wars mythos. Season 2 entered production in November 2022. As announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Andor‘s second and final season is currently targeting an August 2024 premiere.
Andor Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney+. Season 2 is slated to premiere in August 2024.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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