Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy has announced that he will be stepping down from non-writing duties on the series’ second season, which is currently in production. The announcement comes on The Hollywood Reporterthat broke the news via a statement from Gilroy on Tuesday.
“I quit all writing and writing-related work Andor before midnight, May 1.” Gilroy writes, referring to the WGA’s first strike vote. “After being informed of the showrunner meeting on Saturday, I informed Chris Keyser at the WGA on Sunday morning that I would also be ceasing all non-writing production positions.”
Gilroy’s statement is the latest in a series of major shakeups that have taken place since the WGA strike began on May 1. Variety report published on Friday, May 5, reported that the show’s second season, alongside Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Max’s House of the Dragon, production would resume in the middle of the strike. This news drew strong criticism both from fellow WGA members and people online, including WGA member Abdullah Saeed, who singled out Gilroy in an Instagram post published on May 8.
On May 5 The Hollywood Reporter reported that several studios, including Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, had sent letters to showrunners demanding them to continue their contractually obligated non-writing services amid the strike. “Your personal service agreement with [the] Studio requires you to perform your showrunner and/or production duties, even if the WGA seeks to fine you for performing such duties during the strike,” Bob McPhail, the assistant principal counsel of Disney-owned ABC Signature, wrote on 3 May. showrunner and/or producer duties will not be excused, suspended or terminated until and unless you are notified in writing by the Studio.”
In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the WGA accused these letters of acting as a thinly veiled tactic to bust unions. to obtain continuity acceptance or regulatory approval” are “specifically defined in the Guild contract as writing services” and that it is “continuous work that Guild members may not do during a work stoppage.”
The Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) is currently on strike, citing demands to secure a higher wage floor, standardization of wages and residuals for entertainment released on streaming or in theaters, and to “end the abuse of mini-rooms catch”. which are basically smaller writers’ rooms that offer less stability and engagement for writers, among other things.
The second season of Andor is expected to be released in August 2024, although it is unknown whether Gilroy’s strike or absence from production will delay the series.