Latest news with #WallofWhite
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA Members Uphold Vote to Expel Two Members for Strike Violations, but Rescind Censure Over Facebook Joke
The members of the Writers Guild of America have voted to uphold the expulsion of two writers accused of writing during the 2023 strike, but to rescind a public rebuke of a writer who made a joke on Facebook. The WGA board voted earlier this year to kick out Roma Roth and Edward Drake for performing forbidden 'writing services' — what the union calls 'scab writing' — during the 148-day strike. They appealed, but 54% of the voting membership backed the board's decision in a tally that concluded on Friday. More from Variety WGA Members Face a 'Deeply Uncomfortable' Vote to Expel Two of Their Own WGA Bars Members From Working on Martin Scorsese-Produced 'Wall of White' Movie From Randall Emmett's Convergence Entertainment WGA Seeks to Discipline Four Writers for Breaking Guild Rules During 2023 Strike On a 62%-38% vote, the members rejected the public censure of Tim Doyle, who had faced a charge of conduct 'prejudicial to the welfare of the Guild' for making an off-color joke. On the 100th day of the strike, Doyle posted a silhouette of a man hanging from a tree, in what was meant to be a morbid reference to his own suicide. Doyle apologized for the joke, which some took as a reference to a lynching. The process led to some internal concern that the WGA was going too far in policing members' speech. 'It would be nice if the WGA made an effort to publicize this announcement to the industry,' Doyle said in a text on Friday, adding he hoped the guild would 'want to undo some of the damage done over the past 18 months' by the implication that he is racist. The members also narrowly upheld discipline of Julie Bush, a writer accused of submitting a 'scab script' to a non-signatory company during the strike. Bush was given a one-year suspension and forbidden from serving as a strike captain for life. The members voted 52%-48% to deny her appeal. 'I am so grateful to the members who voted for me,' Bush said. 'I believe the closeness of the vote signals that members do not like what has happened here. I have never seen a Guild vote below 90% so to me, losing by just 59 votes is meaningful.' She said she intends to continue to fight over the legality of the WGA's action. 'Now we go to the Department of Labor and the NLRB.' Roth was executive producer on 'Sullivan's Crossing,' a show filmed under Writers Guild of Canada jurisdiction in Nova Scotia. She was a dual WGA-WGC member, and worked under a waiver allowing WGA writers to work for non-signatory companies in certain cases. The waiver was terminated at the outset of the strike, which should have prevented her from writing on the show. Roth argued that she merely supervised the writers' room, and denied breaking the rules. She also argued that under the constitution, a violation should have resulted in a fine, not expulsion. In a statement on Friday, Roth said she found it 'disappointing' that WGA board members 'decided to send out mass emails during the voting round to tip the scale in their favor and unfairly influence what was supposed to be a fair appeals process.' 'This result will undoubtedly shape the standards by which the WGA and its Board continues to operate moving forward,' she said. 'I hope members will submit their candidacy to run for the WGA Board before the May 15th deadline to address these serious issues.' Drake wrote and directed an independent film, 'Guns Up,' which was filmed during the strike. He was accused of making improper script revisions during filming, and of refusing to identify a non-member who allegedly rewrote the ending. He argued that he made minor script changes, which are explicitly not under the jurisdiction of the WGA. Asked for a response to the vote, Drake sent a YouTube clip of the final scene of a classic film: 'Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.' Under the guild constitution, writers may appeal any discipline to the membership at an annual meeting. The WGA has not held an annual meeting for the last six years, so the board elected to hold an online vote instead. Bush has objected to the process, arguing the board had no authority to change the appeal process without a constitutional amendment. In raw vote terms, the vote was as follows: Roth: 778-639 to expelDrake: 769-652 to expelBush: 745-686 to suspend for one year, lifetime bar from serving as strike captain, public censureDoyle: 915-557 to overturn public censure Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA Members Face a ‘Deeply Uncomfortable' Vote to Expel Two of Their Own
Members of the Writers Guild of America West are engaged in unusual vote this week on whether to banish two of their own — Roma Roth and Edward Drake — for allegedly performing 'writing services' during the 2023 strike. The membership is also being asked to uphold disciplinary moves against two others, Julie Bush and Tim Doyle, that fall short of expulsion. The vote will conclude at 2 p.m. on Friday. More from Variety WGA Bars Members From Working on Martin Scorsese-Produced 'Wall of White' Movie From Randall Emmett's Convergence Entertainment WGA Seeks to Discipline Four Writers for Breaking Guild Rules During 2023 Strike Writers Guild Awards Nominations: 'Challengers,' 'Dune 2' and 'Wicked' Among the Nominees In an email to members on Wednesday, WGA Board Member Rob Forman acknowledged that it's an awkward situation. 'I know it's deeply uncomfortable to vote on disciplining other writers, especially during this horrible contraction,' he wrote. But, he urged the membership to 'join me in holding these writers accountable' for breaking guild rules, 'and reject the disciplined members' excuses for hurting the Guild by turning their backs on their fellow writers during the strike.' A vote of this kind is extremely rare. The WGA West expelled a writer, Larry Amoros, in 2013, but he did not appeal, saying he had already resigned. After the 2007-08 WGA strike, Jay Leno was cleared of strike-breaking allegations, while three others were disciplined. Forman said there had not been an appeal of a disciplinary matter in the last couple of decades. There has also been some internal consternation over whether the process has been fair. Doyle is facing a public censure for posting a tasteless joke on Facebook. His attorney has argued that the WGA went beyond its powers by policing his speech on social media. His trial committee — the five volunteer writers tasked with adjudicating rule violations — recommended a lesser, confidential censure along with some equity and inclusion training. The board overruled that recommendation in favor of public discipline. One of the members of the trial committee strongly objected to the process, calling it a 'gross overreach.' Doyle was disciplined under Article X.A. Section 1 of the WGA Constitution, which allows penalties for 'any conduct which is prejudicial to the welfare of the Guild or of unfair dealing with another member of the Guild.' In a 'minority report,' the dissenting trial committee member argued that using that language to censure members' speech would subject everyone to 'the whim of five randomly selected trial committee members.' The member wrote, 'I feel that the Board and guild counsel have chosen to intentionally misrepresent and weaponize provisions of our Constitution in an attempt to send a message and punish a member of the guild.' In three of the four cases before the membership, the WGA board imposed a higher penalty than was recommended by the trial committee. In the fourth case, the trial committee recommended that Roth be expelled for working on 'Sullivan's Crossing' during the strike. But a member of that committee, Jill Goldsmith, refused to sign off on the penalty, saying the process was not 'fair and proper.' Goldsmith agreed that Roma had violated the rules, and said she concurred with the committee's initial recommendation of a five-year suspension. After that recommendation was approved, Goldsmith alleged that a guild lawyer, Laura Raden, informed the committee that no penalty would have an 'impact' on Roth's career. That caused the committee to reconsider and support the stiffer penalty of expulsion, Goldsmith alleged. Goldsmith, a former public defender, argued that the discipline could indeed impact Roth's career, and that the process had been improperly tainted by the representation that it wouldn't. 'I believe that before expelling a member and making a decision that can affect their life and livelihood, a proper process needs to be put in place,' she wrote. 'Systems could be put in place to make sure this doesn't happen again.' Under the WGA Constitution, members may appeal any discipline imposed by the board at the next annual membership meeting. The constitution also provides that the disciplined member, or their attorney, may speak in person at the meeting, and that the outcome will be determined by an in-person vote of the members. The WGA West has not had an annual meeting since April 2019, and does not have one scheduled. So when the appeals were filed, the board adopted a resolution to hold an online vote, rather than an in-person one. Bush, who was given a one-year suspension for submitting a script to a non-signatory company during the strike, has argued that the board cannot unilaterally change its appeal process in midstream. She argues that would entail a change in the constitution, which requires notice and a 2/3 vote of the membership. She has also argued that the online vote exposed her alleged violation to the entire guild and to the general public, rather than limiting it to the members who choose to attend a closed-door meeting. 'Replacing this guaranteed in-person forum with an asynchronous online ballot eliminates the opportunity for live discussion, debate, and transparency, which are fundamental to a fair appealprocess,' she wrote to the board in a demand letter on April 30. The disciplined members were allowed to submit written arguments and replies to the WGA's arguments, which were shared with the entire membership. The WGA counsel has argued that the constitution is subject to interpretation by the board, and that the constitution allows for mail-in or online ballots if a quorum cannot be reached at a membership meeting. The board decided to substitute the online process after deciding that it would be unable to obtain a quorum, which equals 10% of the active membership. Bush has maintained that the failure to adhere to the governance procedures is a potential violation of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act. 'I reserve the right to escalate these issues to the Department of Labor if not resolved in a timely manner,' she wrote. Nicole Yorkin, another board member, sent a message Wednesday to her friends in the guild urging them to deny the appeals. 'Voting is now open (until Friday) on the Guild's strike-related disciplinary actions,' she wrote. 'Please vote to uphold the WGA's Board of Directors' decisions in these matters and encourage your WGA member friends to do the same!' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA Issues ‘Do Not Work' Order Against Randall Emmett, Martin Scorsese-Produced Film ‘Wall of White'
The Writers Guild of America West has released an advisory to members ordering them to not work on 'Wall of White,' a true-story disaster film project from producers Randall Emmett and Martin Scorsese, due to Emmett's inclusion on the union's strike/unfair list. 'Emmett has a long history of refusing to honor obligations to writers and the Guild has filed numerous arbitration claims against companies owned by Emmett over the last decade,' the guild said in the advisory. 'Wall of White' is set to be adapted from a 2010 book of the same name by Jennifer Woodlief and the 2021 Netflix documentary 'Buried,' both of which recount a deadly avalanche at Lake Tahoe in 1982 that killed seven people. A rescue team was able to rescue an eighth person who was buried in the snow for five days. Emmett was first added to the strike list in 2020 after he and his longtime business partner, George Furla, failed to pay writers for work on 'Pump,' an abandoned TV project that was set to star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Their studio, Emmett/Furla Oasis films, had shut down after years of breach of contract lawsuits from financiers and production partners and millions of dollars in debt. The WGA won a judgment against Emmett/Furla Oasis for $541,464, a sum that the guild says now exceeds $700,000 with interest. In 2022, Emmett established a new production company, Convergence Entertainment Group, which is producing 'Wall of White.' TheWrap has reached out to reps for Emmett and Scorsese for comment. In a statement sent to The Los Angeles Times, which first reported the WGA advisory, Emmett said he would resolve any issues with the WGA. 'We are fully financing this movie, and we have every intention to settle this dispute in the coming weeks,' Emmett said. 'Our representatives will be reaching out to the Writers Guild so we can put this matter from six years ago behind us.' Emmett has had a working relationship with Scorsese dating back to the famed director's 2016 passion project 'Silence,' based on Shusaku Endo's novel about the persecution of Christians in 17th century Japan. Emmett and EFO Films came aboard the project as producers and financiers, allowing Scorsese to move forward on the film after more than two decades of setbacks. Emmett later served as a producer on Scorsese's 2019 film 'The Irishman,' which was released on Netflix and had a $150 million budget with CGI used to de-age the film's stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. The post WGA Issues 'Do Not Work' Order Against Randall Emmett, Martin Scorsese-Produced Film 'Wall of White' appeared first on TheWrap.
Los Angeles Times
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
WGA bans writers from joining Martin Scorsese, Randall Emmett film project
Low-budget action movie producer Randall Emmett recently unveiled a high-profile collaboration with Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese to bring the story of a deadly 1982 avalanche near Lake Tahoe to the big screen. The project, 'Wall of White,' is being produced and financed by Emmett's production firm, Convergence Entertainment Group, according to Hollywood trade site Deadline. But the Writers Guild of America West issued an advisory Wednesday forbidding its members from working on the film. The guild cited Emmett's failure to pay writers for work on past projects. Since 2020, Emmett has been on the guild's 'strike list.' 'Emmett has a long history of refusing to honor obligations to writers and the Guild has filed numerous arbitration claims against companies owned by Emmett over the last decade,' the WGA said in the email, adding that guild rules 'prohibit members from working for or selling literary material to companies or individuals who are on the Strike/Unfair List.' Scorsese and his representatives were not immediately available for comment. 'We are fully financing this movie, and we have every intention to settle this dispute in the coming weeks,' Emmett told The Times on Wednesday. 'Our representatives will be reaching out to the Writers Guild so we can put this matter from six years ago behind us.' Emmett was the subject of a 2022 Los Angeles Times investigation and subsequent Hulu documentary that surfaced allegations of abuse against women and assistants as well as mistreatment of assistants and business partners, which he has denied. The 'Wall of White' project draws on a 2010 book as well as a 2021 documentary, 'Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche.' After a heavy spring storm in the Northern California village in 1982, tons of snow roared down the mountain, trapping eight people at a ski resort. Seven died, and rescuers pulled one woman from the wreckage. Screenwriter Petter Skavlan, a WGA member, is attached to the film, according to IMDb. Book author Jennifer Woodlief also is listed as a screenwriter. She is not a member of the WGA, according to the guild. Emmett has been working on the project for about a year, and introduced the Netflix documentary to Scorsese, according to a March article in the Tahoe Guide, which touted how the local tragedy was being adapted into a feature film by Convergence and Scorsese. The article cited a news release from Realization Films, a Northern California firm that includes the 'Buried' documentary producers, Jared Drake and Steven Siig, as well as executive producer Mark Gogolewski. All have signed onto the Emmett project, according to their website. The press reports said the movie was expected to go into production later this year. No director has been attached. Emmett formed Convergence Entertainment Group in early 2022 with Miami financier Joel Cohen, according to Nevada business records. By that time, Emmett's longtime shingle Emmett/Furla Oasis had collapsed under the weight of millions of dollars of debt to former financiers and co-producers. The Writers Guild of America West won a $541,464 judgment against the now-defunct Emmett/Furla Oasis company in 2021 after it filed a claim on behalf of writers who alleged they were shortchanged for their work in 2019 on a television series that was supposed to feature former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. But the actor backed out and the show was never made. With interest, the debt now tops $700,000, the guild says. Last summer, the union added another firm that was created to buy source material for Emmett projects, 50 Feet Movies LLC, to its strike list. 'We want to make sure that every WGA member knows about this project, and knows that they cannot work for Convergence Entertainment Group ... in connection with this project or any other project,' Leila Azari, a senior WGA attorney, said in an interview. 'They cannot work for Randall Emmett.' Despite the demise of his former production company, a trail of lawsuits and bad publicity, Emmett continues to to line up producing partners and big-name stars to make his small-budget films. His association with Scorsese dates back more than a decade. In 2013, Emmett became an unlikely savior for Scorsese, who had tried for 15 years to secure financing for a project about Portuguese Jesuit priests in the 17th century investigating Catholic persecution. None of the major studios would touch 'Silence,' but after a call from Scorsese's agent, Ari Emanuel of WME, Emmett jumped at the chance. Emmett and his then-partner George Furla reportedly raised half of the $46.5-million budget for the film featuring Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield. In exchange for backing 'Silence,' Emmett earned a producing credit — and eventually, an Oscar nomination — on Scorsese's next film, the 2019 mob epic 'The Irishman' for Netflix.
