“Emily in Paris” star Lily Collins and the show’s costume designer, Marilyn Fitoussi, were both in attendance at the ‘For Your Consideration’ event held at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. But there was one very notable absence: series creator and executive producer Darren Star.
The star was set to appear alongside Collins and Fitoussi as Netflix ramped up Emmys season promotions, but the “Sex and the City” creator was a no-show. The panel did not explain or comment on his absence, but it came amid a Writers Guild of America strike that began at midnight on Tuesday. The star is of course old guild member,
Along with “Emily in Paris” and “Sex and the City,” the star also produced “And Just Like That,” “Melrose Place,” “Younger” and “Uncoupled,” among her many credits.
Representatives for the star did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The WGA has been locked in a seemingly intractable dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for months. In April, members voted by an overwhelming 97% margin to authorize a strike if talks break down. This is what happened on Tuesday midnight.
At issue, the guild is trying to stop what it says is the rise of “a gig economy inside the union workforce,” especially on streaming services like Netflix. The WGA is seeking to improve compensation for TV shows and movies on streamers. But it also seeks to prevent the abuse of so-called “mini-rooms”, a recent practice where writers are required to pitch a new TV series, in fact allowing members to assemble a writers’ room. Typically paid to scale with fewer writers. than a typical writers room, and write a full season of scripts before considering a show to greenlight.
Another target in the battle is the hefty paychecks paid to studio owners and streaming executives. On Monday, hours before the strike, the guild released an infographic detailing how eight major Hollywood studio executives earned a combined $773 million in 2021. These include Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel ($308.2 million), Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav ($246.6 million). million), former Disney CEO Bob Chapek ($32.5 million) and then-executive chairman Bob Iger ($45.9 million), Fox Corporation executive chairman Rupert Murdoch ($31.1 million), former Netflix co-CEO and current executive chairman Reed Hastings ($40.8 million) and co-CEOs Ted Sarandos ($38.2 million) and Comcast CEO Brian Roberts ($30 million).
“Meanwhile, many of the staffers who write their shows can’t pay rent,” Guild said. “That’s why the WGA is prepared to strike.”
For all of TheWrap’s WGA strike coverage, click here.
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