“Abbott Elementary” co-showrunner Justin Halpern, on the same day the Writers Guild of America’s vote to authorize a strike was overwhelmingly affirmed, said studio-enforced barriers have made screenwriters’ chances for earning a living wage nearly impossible.
“We have to make writing a viable career for all the people who get into this skill,” Halpern told TheWrap. “This business is tough enough as it is, and you’re able to break into this business, you need to be paid a living wage to be able to live in Los Angeles, one of the most expensive cities in the world, so the studios have sort of eroded that ability.”