Park Chan-wook
| Photo Credit: KSL
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has expelled Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar for working on the HBO miniseries The Sympathizer during the 2023 writers’ strike, according to Variety.
The seven-episode series, which aired in 2024, starred Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. and was adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s 2015 novel of the same name. Park and McKellar co-created the show and were both credited as writers. According to the WGA, neither appealed the decision to remove them from the guild.
The announcement was part of a broader update on disciplinary actions taken against members for strike rule violations. Anthony Cipriano was also suspended until May 1, 2026, for work on The Last Breath (formerly Untitled True Story Haunting—Thriller Project). Cipriano received a public censure and was permanently barred from serving as a strike captain.
Park, 61, is an acclaimed South Korean filmmaker known for Oldboy (2003) and The Handmaiden (2016). His upcoming feature No Other Choice is set to premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival later this month, with McKellar credited as a co-writer. McKellar, a Canadian actor and director, is best known for Last Night (1998).
The WGA stated that it had previously disciplined seven other writers for strike-related violations, with some choosing to appeal. Friday’s announcement identified three individuals who had not been previously named.
In a memo to members, guild leadership said the board had “decided that the disciplines should be made public” and thanked volunteers who served on the Strike Rules Compliance Committee.
“These members volunteered their time for the delicate but necessary task of holding writers accountable to fulfill their obligations to their fellow members,” the statement read.
The WGA did not provide further details on the specific violations committed by Park, McKellar, and Cipriano.
Published – August 09, 2025 10:38 am IST
