It’s been nearly 50 days since Hollywood writers hit the picket lines, affecting the production of TV shows and movies across the country.
Wondering how the strike is impacting Mississippi specifically, we caught up with Nina Parikh of the Mississippi Film Office to discuss.
“Most of our projects, they’ve already been written. They may have locked scripts, so they can move forward, but there are some that are looking at being here that are on hold for the moment,” Parikh said on The Gallo Show. “So, I wouldn’t say that it hasn’t stalled us completely, but there are things that might be delayed by a month or two.”
While Parikh explained that film production in the Magnolia State – which reached historic highs in 2022 – has not been impacted as much as other states like California, she did note that things could change if the recently authorized actors strike ends up going into effect on July 1.
“There’s the pending screen actors guild strike that could also come in conjunction with the writer’s strike, so like I said, we have things here right now, there are other things that will go into production, and then some that are just on hold,” Parikh explained.
Parikh did point out some good news though. According to her, shows like Laurel’s “Hometown” will not be impacted since the strike primarily affects scripted content.
“It doesn’t affect things like unscripted shows like ‘Hometown,’ so we’re fortunate there,” Parikh said. “They are still one of the top shows on the network.”
The Writers Guild of America has been on strike since May 2 with the key demand being higher compensation from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. As of now, no agreement is expected to be made until August at the earliest.
The full interview with Parikh can be watched below.
