Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar Expelled from Writers Guild for Allegedly Working During Strike: The Sympathizer Controversy
Renowned Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook and his collaborator on the HBO Max series The Sympathizer have been removed from the Hollywood writers' union for allegedly working during the strike. The director of acclaimed films like Oldboy and Snowpiercer was expelled from the Writers Guild of America along with Don McKellar for their involvement in the 2024 series during the strike period. The show, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, follows a North Vietnamese double agent in Southern California before the fall of Saigon, with Robert Downey Jr. receiving praise for his performance in multiple roles.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to HBO and the representatives of Park and McKellar for their comments on the matter. Park is the latest high-profile individual to be identified by the union for violating strike rules during the 148-day strike. The union had previously disciplined seven writers, with four of them appealing their rulings, which were mostly upheld in a subsequent member vote. Park and McKellar did not appeal their disciplines, according to the union.
In addition to the expulsion of Park and McKellar, the union has suspended member Anthony Cipriano until May 1 and imposed a lifelong ban on him holding a non-elected union office for his work on The Last Breath f/k/a Untitled True Story Haunting—Thriller Project. Park, who won the best director prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 for Decision to Leave, is gearing up to premiere his latest film, No Other Choice, at the Venice Film Festival. Meanwhile, in 2024, Robert Downey Jr. received an Emmy acting nomination for his role in The Sympathizer.
In conclusion, Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar have been expelled from the Writers Guild of America for allegedly working during the strike while involved in the HBO Max series The Sympathizer. The union has taken disciplinary actions against several members, including Park and McKellar, for violating strike rules, with consequences such as suspension and bans on holding union office. Despite the controversy, Park continues to make waves in the film industry, with his upcoming film No Other Choice set to debut at the Venice Film Festival.