George R.R. Martin Voluntarily Suspended His HBO Deal Due to the Strikes
The most renowned fantasy writer of our time has joined the ranks of the strikers.
George R. R. Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire book series on which HBO's Game of Thrones is based, has suspended his contract with the network in solidarity with the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes. As Martin said in his blog, his contract expired on June 1 and he has no intention of renewing it.
Here's what the author shared:
'No one can be certain where we go from here, but I have a bad feeling that this strike will be long and bitter. It may get as bad as the infamous 1985 strike, though I hope not.'
At the same time, Martin noted that last week he met with the writers working on the theatrical show The Iron Throne. The author explained that the current strikes affect television and film production, but members of the actors' and writers' union can participate in theatrical projects if they wish to.
Martin also added that he continues to work on the next book from A Song of Ice and Fire series called The Winds of Winter.
Previously, the author reported that work on the Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight had been put on hold due to the Writers Guild of America strike. He noted that the script department working on the show is temporarily closed, with screenwriter Ira Parker and other staff picketing.
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Curiously, it seems that the other prequel to Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, has not been affected by the strikes in any way.
The reason for that is that the series' cast consists primarily of British actors who work under contracts with the local union Equity. This means that the show is technically allowed to continue filming because members of the UK union don't officially join the US strikes.
In addition, Equity UK has announced that British performers joining the US strike will not be protected from dismissal or prosecution for breach of contract with their producer. Instead of picketing in solidarity with US actors, the British union plans to support the Screen Actors Guild and its members through legal action.
And while filming on House of the Dragon continues, the end of Martin's deal with HBO means that the show's creators will no longer be able to consult formally with the author.
Source: Not a Blog