Yellowstone's 1923 Spin-Off Hit by the Writers' Strike: Season 2 Delayed
While the major networks and streaming platforms are negotiating an agreement with TV writers, many major projects are put on hold.
When the 2023 WGA strike broke out, hardly anyone could have imagined what a big deal it would become. A month and a half into the action, American TV writers are still on the streets demanding fairer pay for themselves and their colleagues who work for streaming platforms.
The reason behind the industrial action is simple – while writers receive a paycheck for every rerun of their shows on TV, they get nothing when their shows get streamed online.
Thousands of WGA members have put aside their keyboards to demand better terms, which means they are not working on our beloved TV shows. Many flagship projects, such as The Last of Us and Young Sheldon, have already been impacted. Additionally, 1923, the second spin-off of Paramount's tremendously popular series Yellowstone, seems to have now been affected by the strike as well.
The prequel is relatively new, with its first season released this past winter. Starring such heavyweights as Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, among many other stars, the spin-off quickly gained popularity with audiences and made a name for itself. Naturally, season 2 was confirmed almost immediately. However, its future now hangs in the air because of the continued WGA strike.
The prequel is set and filmed on location in Butte, Montana, but all work on it is now on hold while the striking WGA members are sorting out their issues with the TV networks and streaming services. Moreover, the spin-off is at risk of being further postponed as SAG-AFTRA has voiced their intention to join the writers' strike if no agreement is reached by the end of June.
More significantly, Paramount was paying around $75,000 to the Silver Bow community of Butte for using their Civic Centre as a filming location. The contract is due for renewal very soon, but it's now unclear whether or not the network is going to renew it and on what terms, seeing how the strike might continue for months to come.
Anyway, the only certainty we have now is that the WGA strike carries on while the production of 1923 is on hold indefinitely. We, the viewers, can only speculate about when and if it will eventually resume so that we can enjoy another season of Yellowstone's spin-off.