Despite Writers Strike, Amazon Decides To Continue Production Of Season Two Of 'The Rings Of Power'

TV & Film

May 5

With the WGA strike on its fourth day, picketing in front of studio lots over the AMPTP’s rejection of the WGA’s last proposal and refusal to counter, many shows that are currently in production have had to weigh whether or not to continue without writers around to make on the fly changes. That list includes HBO’s House of the Dragon and Amazon’s The Rings of Power.

It seems that the decision has been made for The Rings of Power. The show shall go on. Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are part of the WGA and therefore, per strike rules, unable to perform their duties as writers for the show. The curation of production has been left up to the producers and directors that have no role in the writing process. Despite this status, a source has reportedly said that McKay and Payne anticipated the possibility of the strike and worked as far ahead as they could to deal with any disruptions to the production of the season.

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Uncertainty remains high, however, as the possibility for more strikes rises as we enter summer. Both the DGA and SAG-AFTRA have contracts under negotiation with AMPTP, and if the resilience of the Alliance for the WGA negotiation is any indicator, these negotiations could also go to their deadlines, and possibly strikes. If that’s the case, Hollywood and production would grind to a total shutdown.

Fans and critics are watching the situation closely, with the specter of the 2007 strike looming over it. The strike’s effects are widely cited as the cause of a dip in ratings for shows like Lost and the reception of movies like Quantum of Solace.

It will be some time to see if the same pans out for The Rings of Power since the show won’t debut until 2024, unless the strikes affect that.

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