San Diego Comic-Con to be hit by writers’ strike as major studios drop out

Picketers pass near a studio entrance during a Writers Guild rally outside Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif.
| Photo Credit: AP

The Hollywood writers’ strike is set to have a major impact on the San Diego Comic-Con. A number of major studios have decided to sit out of the fan-fest, set to kick off on July 19.

According to Deadline, Universal Pictures, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Sony Pictures and Netflix are among the companies planning to skip the event. The decision means that those who attend the event won’t see anything from the upcoming films such as Haunted Mission from Disney, Captain Marvel sequel The Marvel and Ahsoka, a Lucasfilm project.

Attendees may not hear anything about The Exorcist and the The Last Voyage of the Demeter from Universal Pictures along with Kraven The Hunter from Sony. Meanwhile, in its recent fan-event TUDUM, Netflix discussed the return of Stranger Things, and spoke about the upcoming adaptation of the sci-fi novel The Three Body-Problem, from the creator of Game of Thrones.

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The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike since May 2, shutting down several TV and film projects such as a new season of Stranger Things and a Game of Thrones spinoff. There are no new contract talks scheduled between the WGA and studios, whose dispute has largely centred on changes to show business brought about by the streaming boom.