With the Writers Guild of America strike likely to start on Monday, the studios rushed out information to assure the movie going public that they won’t have to exercise or talk to their family in 2008; plenty of movies are already written and ready to go for release next year. The studios have been preparing for the anticipated walk-out for more than a year by stockpiling scripts and getting movies ready to cover the loss of a WGA writer on set. A lengthy strike probably wouldn’t be noticed by the movie going public until 2009.
One studio insider told “Variety” that the strike would need to go on for six or seven months to cause a noticible decline in 2009 releases. Another executive had the right perspective on that, though. The source told “Variety,” “if a long strike eventually led to a reduction of the number of films made, that might be a good thing anyway.” Say Amen, somebody. One project that hasn’t finished with a script and would be in danger if the strike drags out is Transformers 2, due out in June 2009. I know, it surprised me that Michael Bay movies have scripts, but apparently they do.
Some of the movies that are ready to go into production regardless of the strike include: Star Trek, the next James Bond with Daniel Craig, a Judd Apatow produced comedy called Year One with Jack Black, Justice League, The Lovely Bones, Wolverine, and a remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. The full list can be found on the Variety website. For those of you praying this would put the brakes on that movie Fred Durst is directing with Ice Cube, no such luck.
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Strike-Won-t-Slow-Movies-6837.html
