Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren's Yellowstone spinoff 1923 is 'delayed indefinitely' amid WGA strike
Fans of the Yellowstone spinoff 1923 could be in for a long wait after production on the show was paused for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing writers strike.
The series, which stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, was set to begin production earlier this month, but filming never commenced due to the strike, reports NBC Montana.
This is the latest setback for showrunner Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone empire, after his flagship series was reported to be ending amid disputes with star Kevin Costner.
According to NBC, the Butte Civic Center manager Bill Melvin said representatives from 1923 informed him that the series had been delayed due to the strike, which would prevent Sheridan — who wrote all of the first season's episodes — from writing additional episodes or changing any aspect of the scripts.
Members of the Writers Guild of America are on strike for better pay and to get assurances from major studios and streamers that they won't replace writers with AI-created scripts, though the studios have so far been unwilling to budge.
On hold: Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren's Yellowstone spinoff 1923 has been delayed indefinitely due to the ongoing WGA strike, NBC Montana reported on Monday
Keeping its options open: The show is reportedly asking for an extension on a contract to rent the Butte Civic Center for $75K-per-month through the end of the year; still from 1923
Production was originally slated to begin on Monday, June 5.
The Civic Center may still be able to profit from the production, even if filming isn't going on at the moment.
According to Melvin, the series is paying the city of Butte and Silver Bow County $75,000 per month for the use of the city's Civic Center through the end of 2023.
The production has reportedly requested a 10-day extension on the contract.
That arrangement will need to get the OK from the City-County Commission, but NBC notes that the Civic Center's board has already expressed its approval to let 1923 continue renting the venue.
The production may also request future extensions as the writers strike continues with no end in sight.
Melvin added that the Civic Center was ready to go whenever the cast and crew were given the all clear to resume filming.
Like many prestige streaming shows, 1923 was only expected to have a relatively short run, and Paramount confirmed earlier this year that it would get a second eight-episode season to wrap up the prequel series.
Ford and Mirren star as the descendants of Yellowstone's John Dutton III (Costner). There series follows the earlier one-and-done season of 1883, which starred Tim McGraw and his wife Faith Hill.
It may not be as simple as wrapping up the WGA strike, which could continue for months to come due to the studios and streamers' intractability.
The series might also be hit by a potential strike from the Screen Actors Guild, after its members authorized a potential stoppage should its own negotiations with the studios and streamers fall through.
Strike two: The turmoil is the latest problem for writer–director–showrunner Taylor Sheridan after disputes with Yellowstone's Kevin Costner led to reports of the show's ending; still from Yellowstone
Next shoe to drop: Sheridan (L) could have more trouble, as a potential Screen Actors Guild strike could overlap or even follow the WGA strike; seen with Kelly Reillly and Costner in 2018
Rather than negotiation directly with studios, the guilds have been trying to find agreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios and top streamers.
The Directors Guild of America recently announced a deal to prevent a strike, but several members of the union have expressed disappointment at the terms of the deal.
Other members of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have lambasted the DGA for the relatively modest terms of its deal and the quick resolution, which may have strengthened the studios' negotiation position against the WGA and Screen Actors Guild.
However, a majority of the members of the DGA will still have to vote to accept the deal.
Source: Daily Mail
