Fans of the hit Apple TV Plus series Silo will have to wait a while longer for the highly anticipated second season. Star of the show, Rebecca Ferguson, revealed in an exclusive interview with TechRadar that the development of the next installment has been delayed due to an ongoing writers’ strike.
Silo has become one of the breakout TV hits of 2023. The dystopian drama, based on Hugh Howey’s book series Wool, received rave reviews from both critics and fans during its first season on Apple’s streaming platform. Although it has not made it onto our best Apple TV Plus shows guide just yet, it is expected to be included soon.
Although it is unclear how popular the series was among audiences, its high scores on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, with 88% from critics and 89% from audiences, indicate a positive response.
The renewal of Silo for a second season in mid-June came as no surprise given its popularity. However, despite work commencing on the new episodes before the green light from Apple, viewers will have to wait longer for the show’s return due to the writers’ strike that has paralyzed Hollywood since May.
During a UK junket for Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One, where Ferguson reprised her role as Ilsa Faust, she revealed that script work for Silo season two was already underway. However, the strike has temporarily halted the writing process.
Ferguson expressed solidarity with the striking writers, stating, Silo season two is happening, but it’s moving forward with the sensitivity that we can’t use any writers. What we have, we can work with, and what we don’t have, we can’t work with. And we stand in solidarity with them [the writers] as well.
The duration of the writers’ strike remains uncertain. Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are demanding improved pay and working conditions, worried about the potential threat of artificial intelligence (AI) replacing them in the streaming industry. In addition, they seek better wages and transparency regarding their productions’ performance on platforms like Netflix and Apple TV Plus. However, negotiations have reached an impasse, with some streaming giants, including Netflix, opposing the WGA’s demands.
The impact of the strike has already been felt by various movies and TV shows, including Stranger Things and Daredevil: Born Again. Now, Silo joins the growing list of productions affected by the industrial action. If the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) also join the strike, Hollywood could face a shutdown lasting weeks or even months until the disputes are resolved.
The delay in the release of Silo season two is disappointing for fans eagerly awaiting its return. However, the writers’ strike reflects a larger struggle within the entertainment industry, highlighting the importance of fair compensation and improved working conditions for all involved. As viewers, we can only hope for a swift resolution to the ongoing negotiations so that our favorite shows can continue to captivate us in the future.
