Writers' Union Strikes Against Village Roadshow for Unpaid Work

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has called for a strike against Village Roadshow Entertainment Group. The reason? Village Roadshow hasn't paid numerous writers for their work on recent projects. The WGA has issued a stop work order, meaning members can't work on projects like The Matrix and Mad Max: Fury Road. The union says Village Roadshow owes money, interest, and benefit contributions, but has refused to pay. Village Roadshow has been struggling financially due to issues with their majority stakeholder, Vine Alternative Investments. This company manages $1. 3 billion in investments but is facing cash problems. Village Roadshow is currently looking for a new majority stakeholder.

The strike also comes amidst ongoing legal battles. Village Roadshow is in arbitration with Warner Bros. over the movie The Matrix Resurrections. They sued Warner Bros. last year after the studio decided to release the movie on their streaming service, which hurt box office sales. Village Roadshow has been through tough times before. In October, they cut eight staff members. Earlier this year, they sold a large portion of their library to Shamrock Capital. The WGA has advised writers to contact their legal department if they're currently working with Village Roadshow or have been approached recently. Village Roadshow hasn't responded to requests for comment.

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