As it stands right now, the end of the world as we know it (aka the potential Hollywood strike) is eying a June, 2008 release date. However, when it comes to the WGA (Writer's Guild of America), their contract is up on October 31, 2007. Yup, that's in a month from now. According to a New York Times article, the WGA could one-up their pals from SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) and DGA (Director's Guild of America) and strike early -- leaving some scripts, which aren't finished yet, in limbo. And if the NY Times is correct, one of those scripts includes Justice League of America. While the current draft, penned by Kieran and Michele Mulroney, was thought to have been handed in already, the NY Times claims it "still does not have a so-called green light to begin production." If more work needs to be done, and the writer's strike next month, it could seriously damage the status of those projects (like Justice League) that still need a bit more work.

And guild leaders are eying projects like Justice League, as well as the highly-anticipated follow-up to Night at the Museum, tentatively titled Another Night, because those are the movies studio's care about the most. But they're also the ones that need more work; projects that, if a strike were to happen, could be seriously delayed and/or shelved indefinitely. It's a smart move by the WGA; I mean, why strike in June when studios have already managed to stockpile enough canned beans to last a year or two? Strike now while they're still rushing to secure casts, and budgets and rewrites. Strike now when they need you the most. Personally, I'd be very surprised if Justice League of America actually makes it into production by early next year. Even if the writer's don't strike next month, casting has been one helluva uphill climb.

Rumors have been flying all over the place, with every other website claiming to have the exclusive on another name added to the film's potential roster. (I'm still game for Fred Savage to play Batman and Ralph Maccio as Superman , but that's me.) The way I see it, anyone who is not working early next year could be up for a role. Pick a name, any name, and write the following sentence: "We've been told by a super secret inside source that (insert actor) is being looked at to play (insert superhero)." Publish post. Congrats, you have an exclusive!

Like pretty much everyone else on earth, the members of the Screen Actors and Writers Guilds are crazy sick of product placement. Amen, brothers and sisters - amen. They even staged a protest yesterday, outside of a hotel where agents and producers were huddling with advertisers, though no one bothered to invite us regular joes. According to union heads, their complaints hinge on studio-advertiser deals that force writers to create scripts containing pitches for products, and force the poor actors to read said scripts. Oh, and they're also (of course), worried about the public, who might be stupid enough to think that Lorelai Gilmore is not only a real person, but also really loves Starbuck's. Some of which, you know, sounds pretty reasonable on the face of it, right? I mean, reading crappy scripts is bad enough, but when you have to shill for MasterCard, it just gets humiliating.

The only problem with SAG's and WGA's righteous indignation, however, is that not much of what they're whining about has anything to do with them. In fact, the two groups reportedly complain most about the out of control product placement on reality TV, a medium with which they have no involvement whatsoever (assuming, that is, that they don't show up on The Surreal Life). Hmm. So what's the problem again?

[image from 8bit Joystick]