The 2023 Writers Guild of America strike is an ongoing strike action that began on May 2, 2023, at 12:01 a.m. PDT. At that time, the Writers Guild of America (WGA)—representing 11,500 screenwriters went on strike over an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). It is the largest interruption to American film and television production since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as well as the largest labor stoppage that the WGA has performed since the strike of 1988, which lasted for 154 days. Since July 14, 2023, it has coincided with a SAG-AFTRA strike as part of a series of broader Hollywood labor disputes and is expected to surpass the previous strikes of 1960 and 1988. The lack of ongoing film and television productions has resulted in some studios having to close doors, or reduce staff. The strike also jeopardizes long-term contracts created during the media streaming boom when producers were shelling out large sums to creative talent. The big studios can terminate production deals with writers through force majeure clauses after 90 days, saving them millions of dollars. In addition, numerous other areas within the global entertainment ecosystem have been impacted by the strike action. Examples include the VFX industry and prop making studios.