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“It is crucial that Village Roadshow be prevented from undercutting writers’ standards and conditions,” the Writers Guild of America West shared in a statement.
By Christy Piña
Associate Editor
The Writers Guild of America has prohibited its members from working with Village Roadshow for the time being after the company refused to pay numerous writers.
“It has come to the Guild’s attention that over the last few months, Village Roadshow hasn’t paid writers on numerous projects,” the WGAW wrote in a statement on Saturday. “Village Roadshow owes writers compensation, interest and benefit contributions but has refused to pay. As such, the Guild has determined that Village Roadshow is not reliable or financially responsible and requires the posting of a bond to protect writers. Village Roadshow has, to date, refused to do so.”
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As a result, the company is on the guild’s strike list until further notice.
“It is crucial that Village Roadshow be prevented from undercutting writers’ standards and conditions,” the statement continued. “Village Roadshow cannot be allowed to benefit from writing services provided by WGA members.”
The guild encouraged its members to reach out to the legal department if they believe they are owed money from the company, have been approached about working for them or are currently in production with them.
The strike notice comes almost two weeks after news first broke that the WGA was on the verge of ordering its workers to stop working with Village Roadshow because the shingle behind the Ocean’s movies, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Lego Movie was behind on paying its writers.
“I can confirm that they’re late on paying their writers and a stop-work order is imminent,” a WGA spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter at the time, while a Village Roadshow representative declined to comment.
As Hollywood has continued to contract, the production company has been trimming costs. A few months ago, it conducted a round of layoffs affecting business affairs, administration, and film and television roles.
Earlier this year, it signed a first-look deal with Content Cartel, Kevin Garnett’s production banner. The company was once a close collaborator with Warner Bros, but it has been stuck in arbitration with the studio after filing a lawsuit over the day-and-date release of 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections.
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