Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar Booted from WGA for Writing ‘The Sympathizer’ Amid 2023 Strike

The Writers Guild of America has expelled Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar for working on their HBO miniseries “The Sympathizer” during the 2023 strike. The announcement came on Friday, confirming that both writers did not appeal their expulsions.

Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar co-created the seven-episode series, which aired in 2024. The show starred Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey, Jr., and was based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s 2015 novel of the same name.

According to the WGA, the two writers violated strike rules by continuing to work during the strike. Representatives for Park, McKellar, and HBO have not responded to requests for comment, according to Variety.

In addition to Park and McKellar, the WGA also suspended Anthony Cipriano until May 1, 2026, for working on the thriller project “The Last Breath,” which was previously known as “Untitled True Story Haunting, Thriller Project.” Cipriano also received a public censure and a lifetime ban from serving as a strike captain.

Park Chan-wook, 61, is a South Korean filmmaker known for movies like “Oldboy” and “The Handmaiden.” He is currently working on a Korean film called “No Other Choice,” which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August. Don McKellar is a Canadian actor and filmmaker, recognized for writing, directing, and starring in “Last Night.” He shares a screenplay credit with Park on “No Other Choice,” along with Lee Kyoung-mi and Lee Ja-hye.

The WGA has disciplined several writers for breaking strike rules during the 2023 strike. Previously, seven writers faced discipline, but only four were publicly named after they appealed. Park, McKellar, and Cipriano are the latest writers to be publicly identified. WGA leadership said in a memo to members that the decision to make these disciplines public was made by the board.

In the same memo, the guild thanked the volunteers on the Strike Rules Compliance Committee for their work investigating many alleged violations. The board and officers also expressed gratitude to the members of trial committees who reviewed testimony and recommended punishments.

The WGA explained, “All of these members volunteered their time for the delicate but necessary task of holding writers accountable to fulfill their obligations to their fellow members under the Strike Rules, Working Rules and WGAW Constitution.” The guild did not provide details on the exact strike violations committed by Park, McKellar, and Cipriano.

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