Star Wars: Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy not working through the writers’ strike

Star Wars: Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy has ceased all writing and producing duties on the Disney+ series in solidarity with the rest of Hollywood’s striking writers. Reports began circulating last week that Gilroy was continuing to work on the series in a producer-only capacity for things like musical scoring and casting, but the showrunner has now set the record straight.

“I discontinued all writing and writing-related work on Andor prior to midnight, May 1. After being briefed on the Saturday showrunner meeting [on May 6], I informed Chris Keyser at the WGA on Sunday morning that I would also be ceasing all non-writing producing functions,” Gilroy told The Hollywood Reporter. THR confirmed this news with Keyser; Gilroy has stepped back from the production for the time being.

One of Andor’s most memorable sequences involves the unjust treatment of workers in a prison camp, so it’d be a pretty bad look for Gilroy to continue working during a strike intended to secure better job conditions for working writers.

This announcement confirms that Gilroy himself has stopped working, but not that production on Andor has stopped. Studios like Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery recently issued union-busting letters ordering showrunners to keep working despite the strike. It’ll be interesting to see how Gilroy stepping away impacts the series.

President Biden speaks out in support of the writers’ strike

Many prominent people have come out in support of the strike. Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin voiced his “full and complete and unequivocal support” for the writer’s guild, and Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer have confirmed production on the show’s fifth and final season will not begin until after the strike concludes. The list of productions affected grows longer by the day.

The strike also has supporters outside of Hollywood. This week, President Joe Biden spoke up, saying he hopes they are “given the fair deal they deserve.” Biden made his statement before a Monday White House screening of the upcoming Disney+ series American Born Chinese.

“Nights like these are a reminder of the power of stories and the importance of treating storytellers with the dignity, respect and value they deserve. I sincerely hope that the writers strike in Hollywood gets resolved — and the writers are given the fair deal they deserve, as soon as possible,” Biden said.

Biden has often proclaimed himself a firm supporter of union workers, so it’s good to hear him throwing his weight behind the screenwriters.

Imagine Dragons plays on picket line outside Netflix headquarters

Last in our round-up of strike-related news, the band Imagine Dragons also came out to voice their support for the WGA. Singer Dan Reynolds and guitarist Daniel Wayne Sermon performed songs like “Radioactive” and “Whatever It Takes” from atop a bench at the picket line outside of Netflix’s headquarters in Los Angeles. You can watch a video of it above!

The WGA strike is a developing story, and we’ll be on the lookout for updates.

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h/t The A.V. Club, Deadline