Hollywood braces for shutdown as TV and film writers agree to strike

Hollywood will come to a standstill this week.

Thousands of Hollywood TV and movie screenwriters are set to strike after talks with major studios over wages soured.

The Writers Guild of America strike is the first in 15 years and will see more than 9,000 writers – or nearly 98 per cent of voting members – walk out.

The strike could affect Tuesday’s late-night shows, while numerous forthcoming shows and films could face delays.

The last demonstration like this was in 2007, when writers went on strike for 100 days.

This came at a cost of about $2 billion for the industry.

Writers are clashing with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers – which represents the major studios, including Disney and Netflix.

They are demanding higher pay and a greater share of the profits from the modern streaming boom.

In a Tweet on Sunday evening, the Writers Guild of America said the decision was made after six weeks of negotiations produced a “wholly insufficient” response to “the existential crisis writers are facing”.

Speaking at the Met Gala, Olivia Wilde says she is united with the union. #trending #featured