Andor Showrunner Tony Gilroy Pauses All Work Amid WGA Strike, Lucasfilm Yet To Comment
"Andor" creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy has paused all work on the second and final season of the live-action "Star Wars" series. Gilroy says he had stopped all writing work before the WGA strike began midnight on May 1 and hasn't been to the "Andor" set since May 2, but the 66-year-old filmmaker — whose credits also include the original "Bourne" trilogy — had reportedly been helping out with casting and background score since.
Gilroy was criticized on social media for performing non-writing services, but as of this past Sunday, he explained that he would be stopping all producing functions on the show. In a statement provided Tuesday evening to The Hollywood Reporter, the "Andor" creator said: "I discontinued all writing and writing-related work on 'Andor' prior to midnight, May 1. After being briefed on the Saturday showrunner meeting, I informed [WGA West president] Chris Keyser at the WGA on Sunday morning that I would also be ceasing ALL non-writing producing functions."
At the time of writing, Disney-owned Lucasfilm — which produces all "Star Wars" projects — has yet to comment. The most recent official communiqué from Lucasfilm was a tweet from the official "Andor" handle on Tuesday evening, congratulating the "Star Wars" series on its Peabody win. But with the chief creative guy walking — Gilroy is so busy as a showrunner that he isn't directing any episodes on season 2, he told /Film — will Disney choose to continue production on "Andor" season 2?
Can Andor season 2 run without a showrunner?
It seems highly likely that "Andor" will soon join the list of TV productions that have been halted — alongside "Cobra Kai," "Stranger Things," "Yellowjackets," "Daredevil: Born Again," "Severance," and "Abbott Elementary" — amid WGA's strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the body that represents studios and streamers. Without the showrunner, who's not on set and now also not contributing to casting decisions, it'd be highly suspect to plow on.
The reason this happened in the first place is because Disney and other studios had told showrunners that they are "contractually obligated" to perform non-writing services amid the strike. The WGA referred to these demands as "union-busting tactics." And in a meeting on Saturday (that Tony Gilroy brings up in his statement), showrunners touched upon how it's impossible to separate producing and writing duties and noted there is "no non-writing aspect" to their work, per Deadline.
The ongoing writers strike could last for "more than three months," according to an analyst who spoke to The New York Times. "Andor" season 2, which has been filming since November 2022, was expected to wrap production in August 2023. There's no word yet on how Gilroy's decision impacts "Andor" season 2 filming and the expected release date of August 2024 which was revealed at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly represented the timeline of events regarding Gilroy's decisions. The piece has been reflected with the correct information, and we regret the error.