[Correction 6:42am CT, May 19, 2023]: A representative for Tony Gilroy has reached out to clarify that he did not take action because of Saeed’s criticism and had ceased all duties on Andor on Sunday, May 7, after speaking with Chris Keyser of the WGA. The original story is below.
In a momentous turn of events, Andor creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy announced that he is refraining from all non-writing responsibilities on the hit Disney Plus series in solidarity with the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Gilroy denies any wrongdoing. In a written statement, the Academy Award nominee responded to the criticism, explaining that he has been cooperating with the strike since its inception on May 2.
“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.”
Gilroy was whipped into action by the fierce criticism he received from Abdullah Saeed, a fellow member of the WGA, who took to Instagram to accuse him of strikebreaking by performing non-writing duties for the acclaimed TV show, calling on the WGA to withdraw Gilroy’s membership.
Disney notified showrunners that they must perform all contractually obligated non-writing services during the strike. For his part, Gilroy insists that he had completed the scripts for the second season before the strike. Furthermore, he withdrew from all tasks forbidden by the WGA.
Saeed responded to Gilroy’s statement on Instagram, posting a screen capture of the news report with the captions, “Wow. Thank you, Tony Gilroy, for halting production on [Andor]. See you on the picket line!”
It was already common knowledge that the WGA strike would impact production on season two of Andor. Gilroy voiced his support for the organization’s efforts to protect the rights of writers in new media and improve working conditions for its 11,000 members. It remains unclear whether the strike will delay the release of the penultimate season of the beloved series.
Hopefully, with a powerhouse like Gilroy taking decisive action, an agreement will be reached sooner rather than later.
