Park Chan-wook Responds to Expulsion from the Writers Guild of America
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Korean writer-director Park Chan-wook says he “unintentionally” violated the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) strike rules. The Guild announced last Friday that Park and his co-writer, Don McKellar, would be expelled for violating strike rules while working on The Sympathizer.
Representatives for Park’s company, Moho Film, told Korean media that the two writers had begun scriptwriting and filming long before the writers’ strike began, and by the time the Guild instructed members to put down their pens, they were already in post-production: “Editing is not considered writing under WGA rules, so it was permissible. During editing, HBO suggested that certain scenes be changed. The two held a meeting to consider whether existing footage could be repurposed for the new scenes. Aware that writing new material during the strike was prohibited, they did not rewrite or alter any existing scripts or scenes. The new text was written only after the strike ended.”
The writers’ representatives say the WGA investigated the matter in December, delivering its findings to a jury of Guild members to determine whether rules had been broken. The jury deemed the violation “unintentional” and the result of a “misunderstanding of their duties during post-production,” recommending a “confidential warning.” However, the Guild ultimately expelled both writers “without providing a clear explanation.”
The statement from the representatives added: “Park has always held deep respect for his fellow writers and creators, maintaining a spirit of solidarity with them, and will continue to do so in the future.”
In addition to Park and McKellar, celebrities such as George Clooney, George Lucas, and Sylvester Stallone are also currently not members of the WGA.
The series, starring Robert Downey Jr., is based on the novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen and consists of seven episodes. The Sympathizer blends historical fiction and espionage, telling the story of a North Vietnamese spy who infiltrates the South Vietnamese army. Exiled to the United States, the spy remains embedded in the South Vietnamese community and works as a consultant on a film about the Vietnam War. He ultimately returns to Vietnam to fight against the communists. Robert Downey Jr. plays multiple roles in the series, including a CIA operative, a Hollywood director, and a congressman.
