The Speculative Labor of Screenwriters in Iran’s New Streaming Economy

This article explores the speculative labor of screenwriters working in Iran’s highly regulated but commercially driven streaming economy. Services like Filimo and Namava promise creative freedom absent from state television but face intersecting pressures from censorship, audience expectations, and algorithmic demands. Drawing on interviews, I define speculative labor as the anticipatory strategies that shape creative decisions amid such forces. While streaming opens space for new themes, it also imposes structural and market constraints. Screenwriters must navigate a complex terrain of compromise, which reframes limitations as creative possibilities. Situating these dynamics within global streaming cultures, the article explores negotiations between cultural specificity and global appeal.