Will the WGA writers’ strike affect Game of Thrones?

Game of Thrones writers may be merciless, but a WGA strike won’t affect the HBO airing of season 7.

Negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers over a new three-year contract began on March 24 and remain unresolved. If the two do not reach a resolution by May 1 and the WGA membership votes in favor of a strike, production on any number of TV shows and movies could be affected. Luckily, Game of Thrones is not one of them.

Season 7 of Game of Thrones is already in the can. Meaning, it’s written, shot and produced. All of the episodes are already through post-production. If the WGA moves to strike, as they did in 2007, the current season would not be affected. Depending on how long the strike lasts, it could affect the six episodes planned for season 8, which is scheduled to begin production in September 2017.

Fans of the book will remember how the 2007 writers’ strike affected the show. Back when the production was but an option on HBO’s roster, the strike delayed the writing and submission David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’s pilot by nearly a year. In 2007, the writers were striking for a better share of digital revenue. Now, they’re looking for better compensation in light of the shift to smaller episode orders without adjustment for per-episode pay. The writers are also asking for the guild to revisit their healthcare and pension policies.

There’s still time for the WGA and AMPTP to reach a resolution, but as fans of Game of Thrones, consider yourself blessed. And while you enjoy the uninterrupted airing of what these writers worked so hard to produce, take some time to read up on the reasons and how you can