The writers’ strike has interrupted a number of productions, and we are sure at this point that many in the industry are starting to get weary of it, even if they do support the cause. American Horror Story creator, Ryan Murphy, was rumored to have threatened crew members to either cross the line or be blackballed but has since denied such claims.
The writers’ strike is well into its second month and we cannot see any signs of it abating as numerous productions have had to shut down as picket lines pop up in front of sets and studios. On Wednesday it was the set of American Horror Story: Delicate that was targeted by picketers in Manhattan on 52nd Street according to WGA picketers who were tweeting from the location with one of them sharing a video of Kim Kardashian entering the production.
This came after the news that another WGA member, strike captain Warren Leight (former exec producer for Law & Order: SVU) claimed in a tweet that crew members for the production had been told that if they didn’t cross the picket line they’ll be blackballed by Murphy. This tweet has since been removed by Leight after a response was issued by a spokesperson for Murphy, who according to Variety stated, the tweet was, “absolute nonsense. Categorically false.”
Though Leight took down the tweet he still retweeted responses as well as the report from the picket line outside the Delicate set.
Though many productions have either shut down or been placed on pause due to the strike, Murphy still has three productions on the go in New York and New Jersey. These include season 12 of American Horror Story, season 3 of American Horror Stories, and the first season of American Sports Story.
According to Deadline, the strikes have already cost California $1.5 billion in lost economic output and it would seem that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is also not budging on their end either. The WGA paused picketing today and instead staged a “March and Rally for a Fair Contract,” which had notable members from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA speaking to those in attendance.