The writers of the Disney+ reboot of 1997 Sheffield stripper comedy The Full Monty have boycotted the Sheffield premiere of their own show in support of striking Writers’ Guild of America writers in the US.
Key returning cast members including Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy and Lesley Sharp were out in force at Monday’s premiere in the city, where the film and show are set, but Full Monty creator Simon Beaufoy and series co-writer Alice Nutter, formerly of anarcho-punk agitpop collective Chumbawamba, did not go in because of the continuing US writers’ strike. Instead, they formed a picket line outside the event picketed the event carrying placards demanding “A Fair Deal for Writers” and protesting Hollywood studios’ use of AI – a key battleground in the ongoing dispute.
The British pair are both members of the Writers Guild of America, which has told members not to work for US companies during the industrial action, saying studios are underpaying writers in the streaming age.
In a statement before the premiere, Beaufoy and Nutter said: “We worked on The Full Monty TV series for over three years. “We love this show, we put our hearts and souls into it and would like to be at the premiere – but as WGA writers, we won’t be taking part in promotion until the strike is over. The ongoing strike and struggle to get a fair deal for writers is too important to us.”
Nutter had previously take to Twitter to announce her intention to follow WGA guidance regarding promotion of the show and declaring “solidarity” with fellow WGA members:
Worked on The Full Monty TV show for 3 years with Simon Beaufoy but as WGA members @WGAWestwriters we are on strike so won’t be doing any promo, interviews or going to our own premieres. Love this show but it is important to win WGA writers strike. Solidarity. pic.twitter.com/beiYDxFSM6
— Alice Nutter (@alicenut1) May 18, 2023
The eight-part series catches up with the Full Monty’s characters 26 years after the successful film, which saw a group of unemployed Sheffield men turn to stripping to make a living. It premieres on Disney+ on June 14.
