Will Hallmark’s ‘WCTH’ Season 11 Still Film During SAG-AFTRA Strike?
Hearties are excitedly awaiting WCTH Season 10 to premiere on July 30. However, due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, these fans are concerned that filming for Season 11 will be delayed.
Thanks to Brian Bird, one of the co-creators of the Hallmark series, these fans know what is happening now.
Will WCTH Season 11 Filming Be Delayed?
Hallmark’s When Calls The Heart Season 11 is supposed to start filming on July 17. However, just a few days ago, SAG-AFTRA, the American actors guild voted unanimously to strike. This is in addition to the WGA strike that began on May 1. Does this mean that filming is delayed in the Vancouver, BC area?
According to WCTH co-creator Brian Bird, “The show must go on.” He went to Twitter to share a long missive explaining to Hearties that they will start filming as scheduled.
That is because they had a contingency plan.
What Is The WCTH Contingency Plan?
Brian Bird revealed that although they honor both the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA strikes, they still plan to keep “the streets of Hope Valley very busy in the weeks and months ahead.” That is because the “Vancouver production team have prepared an extraordinary contingency plan.”
This plan honors the strike, while continuing production. What is the plan?
According to the When Calls The Heart co-creator, all their “fine Canadian writers and cast and crew members” are going to be back to work. He also shared that they will “wait for peaceful resolution of these labor talks.” That means they will start filming as planned.
What Happens When The Strike Is Over?
After the strikes are resolved, the plan is that those American actors and writers will go on the WCTH set in Canada. Then, they will film their scenes. Bird also made a promise to Hearties that they will not know the difference.
And when you experience Season 11 in 2024, through the seamless magic of the filmmaking and storytelling process, it will make it seem like they were all along.
While he did not name names, the three biggest American cast members of the Hallmark series are Erin Krakow, Ben Rosenbaum, and Jack Wagner.
Brian Bird Asks Hearties To Pray For The American Writers And Cast-Members
In addition to sharing the contingency plan for WCTH Season 11 filming, Brian Bird also asked fans to “Please pray for our American writers and cat-members in the days ahead and the studios and big companies that hold their futures in their hands.”
The statement also added more support for the striking workers by stating, “But if you do a little homework on the issues involved in these labor talks, you will realize why some of these hard decisions had to be made.”
Lastly, Bird also reminded Hearties that the series has weathered many storms including Daniel Lissing’s shocking departure, as well as the College Admissions Scandal when Hallmark fired Lori Loughlin.
WCTH Has Added Cast-Members After Filming Before
Hearties may also remember that in the early days of the series, Lori Loughlin would only work a few weeks on the WCTH Vancouver set. Afterward, other people were added to the scenes. That is what will happen after the strike resolves.
However, Hallmark plans on filming through the first week of November. The strikes may continue past that time. But, it sounds like they have some contingency plans in place for any scenario that they will encounter. Hopefully, all will be resolved soon, and the American stars can return to the set.
#Hearties 🙏🏻⬇️👇⬇️👇⬇️👇⬇️👇❤️ pic.twitter.com/ultlsqWVCF
— Brian Bird (@brbird) July 15, 2023
When Calls The Heart Season 10 premieres on Sunday, July 30, at 9 p.m., Eastern, on the Hallmark Channel.
