Deadline reports that Apple TV+ has has shut down production on limited series Before until the Writers Guild of America strike has ended. The series stars Billy Crystal (Soap, Saturday Night Live) and comes from Paramount Television Studios.
Before is written by Sarah Thorp (Damien, Cornelius) and Adam Bernstein (Six Ways to Sunday, Love at First Hiccup) will be directing the pilot. Crystal plays Eli, a child psychiatrist who loses his wife shortly before he encounters a troubled young boy.
The series has been filming in New Jersey and was temporarily shut down due to picketing on June 1, according to a tweet from WGA East vp Lisa Takeuchi Cullen (The Endgame, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), reports Deadline. It is believed that the series has completed five episodes.
This shut down is the latest of numerous production delays due to the strike. Series filming on the East Coast have been the most impacted, including The Penguin and Daredevil: Born Again.
The WGA strike began on May 2 and has been ongoing for over seven weeks. SAG-AFTRA approved a strike authorization on June 5 and began negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on June 7.
Before is executive produced by Crystal, Thorp, Bernstein, Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Killers of the Flower Moon), and Jet Wilkinson (How to Get Away with Murder, Percy Jackson and the Olympians).
Crystal’s involvement in a television series as a regular cast member is a rare occurrence. He has previously starred in FX’s The Comedians and ABC’s Soap. He is known for his roles in Rob Reiner’s (Stand by Me, This is Spinal Tap) When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride as well as Ron Underwood’s (Heart and Souls, Tremors) City Slickers.
Roth recently wrote the upcoming Martin Scorsese film Killers of the Flower Moon as well as co-wrote Dune.