Production on Yellowjackets season 3 has stopped almost as soon as it started – the writers' room for the next installment of the series has been shut down due to strike action by the Writers Guild of America.
"Well, we had exactly one day in the Yellowjackets S3 writers’ room," tweeted co-showrunner Ashley Lyle. "It was amazing, and creatively invigorating, and so much fun, and I’m very excited to get back to it as soon as the WGA gets a fair deal."
Fans showed their support for Lyle and her fellow writers on Twitter, replying to her post with words of encouragement. "Union rights! Here’s to writers being paid their worth and a stellar season 3 once demands are met," said one, while another replied: "It really sucks (for everyone!) that it's come to this, but you guys deserve fair compensation for your work and you deserve a functioning industry that has a sustainable future. And most of all you deserve a decent standard of living. We can wait."
As of yesterday (May 2), 11,500 members of the WGA are on strike after the union failed to reach a satisfactory new deal with Hollywood studios. Negotiations for a new contract to replace one that expired on May 1 have been underway since mid-April.
This is the first time the WGA has been on strike since 2007. The main reason for the strike is unsatisfactory pay – according to the WGA, 50% of series writers now earn the minimum industry rate, as opposed to 33% during the 2013-2014 season. Median screenwriter pay hasn't risen since 2018 and, if we're accounting for inflation, it's actually fallen by 14%, while median weekly pay for writer-producers has declined by 23% over the last decade when adjusting for inflation.
While this withdrawal of labor by union members is underway, writers cannot write, sell, or option material, and they can't discuss their work with studios or revise scripts that have already been written.
Although season 3 may still be a way off, Yellowjackets season 2 is currently airing – and, after a week-long break, it returns this Friday on Paramount Plus. Make sure you never miss an episode with our Yellowjackets season 2 release schedule.
