Coronavirus Impact on Hollywood: Tom Hanks, SXSW & More
Written by SOURCE on March 14, 2020
It really was all good a week ago.
While the coronavirus was still a major issue at the beginning of March, it hadn’t progressed anywhere near the level of its now pandemic status. As the dangerous disease continues to rage around the world, it’s causing all kinds of chaos to all kinds of industries—including Hollywood.
As we continue through this turmoil-ridden time, it’s important to take stock of just how much this disease has shaped the future movie and television industry since the start of the month. While it’s staggering to look at each of these announcements individually, putting them all together lays out can only be described as a seismic shift in how pop culture is being made and distributed during this time. Safe to say, there’s more to come than what we’ve highlighted here.
March 4, 2020: No Time To Die makes first major Coronavirus-related adjustment
In what proved to be the canary in the coal mine for all ::gestures around:: this, MGM, EON, and Universal decided to delay the 25th installment of the James Bond franchise from April until November. The Bond series is inherently global and the studios involved were counting on the movie to be a cash cow—both domestically and internationally. Add in the fact No Time To Die is actor Daniel Craig’s final outing as Bond, there was an immense amount of money riding on the line here. Given Fast 9’s dramatic shift (more on this later), we won’t be surprised if Universal and crew decide to push No Time To Die’s release again. Keep in mind, the movie was supposed to be originally released in November of 2019.
March 6, 2020: South by Southwest officially gets caned
After a series of high-profile exhibitors—including Netflix, Apple, and Amazon Studios—pulled out from the event, the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) was canceled by the city of Austin. This marked the first time in 34 years that the tech, music, and entertainment conference and festival would not take place.
In 2019, the event drew over 400,000 people to the city of Austin and provided a local economic impact of roughly $356 million. As per their official policy, refunds for the event have not and will not be issued.
March 10, 2020: Survivor, Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Riverdale productions delayed
Here’s where news starts to pick up a bit. After the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus a global pandemic, CBS made the choice to delay the scheduled production of Survivor’s 41st season. Set to take place in Fiji, the production is currently set to resume in mid-May.
A few hours later, Disney stopped the production of Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The first of Marvel’s foray into Disney+ streaming shows was on location in Prague, where crews were set to do a brief shoot. Star Sebastian Stan confirmed the news via an Instagram post. Crews have returned to their normal production location in Atlanta, where the show was previously already well underway.
But the most serious production suspension of the day came on the Vancouver-based Riverdale shoot. Deep into Season 4 (which you should be watching!), The CW show immediately halted filming, citing concerns that “a person working on the show was recently in contact” with another individual who tested positive for the disease according to Deadline. At this point, there’s been no publicly announced resume date.
March 10, 2020: Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway runs away to August
I imagine this will be its first and last mention on this site, Sony’s Peter Rabbit sequel moved from its domestic April 3 date to August 7. The film stars Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, David Oyelowo, Elizabeth Debicki, Margot Robbie and James Corden as the voice of the titular Peter Rabbit. Speaking of Corden…
March 11, 2020: Talk shows including Fallon, Corden, Ellen, Colbert, and Myers all move to audience-less shows; game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune follow suit
In what Deadline called a “decision made jointly among the late-night shows,” every major show will tape without an audience. The list includes The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Myers, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Watch What Happens Live, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Late Late Show with James Corden. Ellen DeGeneres took to Twitter for her (typically wry) announcement:
Additionally, game show stalwarts Wheel of Fortune and (more importantly) Jeopardy! put out statements saying they’d continue on without live audiences. This is especially important for the latter, as host Alex Trebek is still in the middle of a battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer—and must be protected at all costs.
March 11, 2020: CinemaCon canceled
The National Association of Theatre Owners’ annual gathering, otherwise known as CinemaCon, was set to take place in Las Vegas from March 30 until April 2—until it wasn’t. While not the most high-profile of events, CinemaCon draws coverage specifically for its splashy rollout of exclusive footage from upcoming movies and (perhaps more importantly) visits from top stars. NATO decided it was best to shield everyone from potential infection, including those major stars, but the damage was already done as we soon learned…
March 11, 2020: Global treasures Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announce they’re infected with coronavirus
When writing the story of this pandemic, I have a feeling this specific moment will be frequently referenced. In a statement released exclusively to Deadline and later to his personal Twitter account, actor and literal global treasure Tom Hanks announced he and his wife Rita Wilson had both tested positive for coronavirus. Hanks and Wilson were on location in Australia as part of pre-production for director Baz Luhrman’s upcoming Elvis Presley movie.
Later that night, the one and only Chet Haze took to Instagram to thank everyone for their well-wishes and to reassure the public his parents aren’t “trippin’.” It was only a matter of time before someone significant was diagnosed, but the fact it was Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson of all people seemingly brought home the reality of this issue in a way that’s a little more than horrifying.
March 12, 2020: A Quiet Place Part II stays quiet indefinitely, Fast 9 shuts off its engine until 2021, The Lovebirds fly the coop, and The Prom shuts down
Hanks’ diagnosis seemed to be the burst of the dam for many in Hollywood. On Thursday, all within the span of about an hour, three high-profile movie releases were rescheduled while another stopped production before it even began.
The first was the anticipated A Quiet Place sequel. In a statement posted to Instagram, multi-hyphenate John Krasinski stated: “After much consideration, and in light of the ongoing and developing situation concerning coronavirus and restrictions on global travel and public gatherings, Paramount Pictures will be moving the worldwide release of A Quiet Place Part II.” At this point, the delay is seemingly indefinite with no confirmed, updated release date.
Paramount also made the decision to delay the Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani vehicle, The Lovebirds. The comedy looks to capture the same spirit of movies like Game Night and Date Night, focusing on a couple who gets way in over their head after witnessing a crime. As with A Quiet Place Part II, a new release date has not been slated.
Perhaps the most dramatic shift, Fast 9 has been delayed an entire year from May 22 to April 2, 2021. In a manner not dissimilar to Bond movies, the Fast and Furious franchise has amassed a global fanbase, so it’s safe to assume Universal was counting on returns from a global box office to bolster its bottom line for the year.
Finally, Netflix and Ryan Murphy’s The Prom has completely shut down production. The Tony-nominated musical was being adapted for the streaming platform and featured Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Ariana Grande, Kerry Washington, Awkwafina, and more its heavy-hitting cast. It’s worth mentioning the film was set to film on the Paramount lot, perhaps leading into its cancelation. And, as with much of this news, there is no update on when the movie will continue.
March 12, 2020: Universal stops production on three series including Apple’s Little America and Netflix’s Russian Doll
Reported exclusively by Deadline, three Universal series—Russian Doll (Netflix), Little America (Apple TV+), and Rutherford Falls (NBC’s upcoming Peacock) — will not continue into filming. All three shows were still early in pre-production, with writing and casting still underway and had no firm ‘delivery dates’ to their respective platforms. Russian Doll stars Natasha Lyonne, Little America is an anthology series headed by Kumail Nanjiani (who is having a tough day) and his partner (both professionally and in life) Emily V. Gordon, and Rutherford Falls stars Ed Helms.
March 12, 2020: ViacomCBS shows including One Day At A Time and Tosh.0 to film without live audiences
Real talk: Is anyone still watching Tosh.0? Nevertheless, it’s one of a handful of shows produced by ViacomCBS that will tape without a studio audience. Other shows include Lights Out With David Spade, Ridiculousness and One Day At A Time—the latter of which becomes the first multi-cam sitcom to go without in-studio attendance. Anticipate other sitcoms to move to a similar policy sooner rather than later.
March 12, 2020: WonderCon and Tribeca Film Festival get pushed
Comic-Con International has shut down this year’s WonderCon. While the event is not on the same massive scale as San Diego Comic-Con, WonderCon has started to see more of a dedicated entertainment presence in recent years (Fear the Walking Dead dropped their trailer there last year for example). Comic-Con International has yet to make a decision regarding the status of July’s San Diego Comic-Con, nor have they set a new date for WonderCon.
Additionally, Deadline learned about the postponement of the annual Tribeca Film Festival. The announcement seemingly came in the wake of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s statewide gathering ban. Set to originally take place from April 15 – 26, the festival slate will include 115 films across 33 different countries. And, as you can expect, there is no new date.
March 12, 2020: Disney pushes releases of Mulan, Antlers, and The New Mutants (Again)
After Disney (finally) moved to close their theme parks, rescheduling their primary March and April releases seemed imminent. The live-action Mulan (March 27) and Searchlight horror flick Antlers (April 17) were officially pulled from release late on Thursday afternoon.
Same goes for Fox’s The New Mutants. In case you don’t know the full story here, the movie—deep breath—has been: pushed back, undergone reshoots, delayed again, acquired by Disney in the Fox deal, rumored to be released on Hulu or Disney+, and then finally scheduled for April 3 of this year…only to get moved again.
While there’s currently no update on Black Widow’s May 1 release, don’t be surprised if that changes in the near future. In the meantime, no new release dates have been announced for the three films.
March 12, 2020: NBS completely shuts down The Tonight Show, Late Night, and Wendy Williams
NBC officially made the call to fully halt tapings of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Myers, and The Wendy Williams Show. The news flies in the face of the previous news that NBC’s late-night shows would continue on without audiences, as the full state of emergency in New York grows. Fallon ended up taping a final show — sans audience, as expected. Meanwhile, Myers just released a new edition of his beloved “Closer Look” segment as a digital exclusive.
March 12, 2020: Grey’s Anatomy, Grace and Frankie stop the tapes
Now in its 16th(!) season, ABC’s hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy has paused filming for at least two weeks. The decision was most likely made in the wake of Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti’s declaration to limit gatherings that spanned 50 people or more.
This also extends to Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. The show was in the middle of filming its seventh and final season for the streaming platform. Sadly, there needs to be a bit of caution here, as the show’s stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen, and Sam Waterston all fall within one of the high-risk demographics for the virus.
March 12, 2020: Marvel’s Shang-Chi pauses filming as director Destin Daniel Cretton self-isolates
Via a Variety report, Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has been put on temporary hold as its director Destin Daniel Cretton self-isolates. Cretton himself wasn’t showing any symptoms of the coronavirus but decided to get tested. Cretton recently had a newborn baby and decided to “exercise additional caution” on behalf of his family. While he waits for the results, he’s followed a doctor’s orders to enter into quarantine.
Shang-Chi has been filming in Australia since February. It’s worth noting, that’s where Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were also on location when they discovered they’d been diagnosed.
March 13, 2020: NBC, CBS, Disney and Warner Bros. TV shut down large groupings of productions
In what is probably the most sweeping set of closures, NBC pulled the plug on a whopping 32 of their shows including Law & Order: SVU, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D, Chicago Med, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and Sam Esmail’s Angelyne. They’re joined by a handful of shows including Russian Doll, Little America, and Rutherford Falls that were paused on Thursday.
CBS has also followed suit, shutting down all three NCIS shows—please reach out to your Dad right now—Bull, The CW’s Dynasty and CBS All Access’ The Good Fight. Deadline states the shutdown will occur once these shows have finished taping their respective episodes.
Also joining in was Disney Television Studios stopped filming of Genius: Aretha for “at least three weeks,” according to Deadline. Additionally, 16 pilots currently in development will be postponed until further notice.
Finally, Warner Bros. Television Group stopped production on their active shows. The full list of impacted programs includes Young Sheldon, God Friended Me, Batwoman, The Flash, Lucifer and The Bachelorette (which is a co-production with ABC). They all joined Riverdale, which shut down on Thursday.
March 13, 2020: Disney shuts down every active production
Come one, come all. After Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings shuttered its filming late on Thursday night, Disney has taken its ball and gone home in relation to every upcoming production on its slate including Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, the live-action The Little Mermaid remake, David Lowery’s Peter Pan & Wendy, Disney+’s Home Alone reboot, the Honey I Shrunk the Kids reboot Shrunk, and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel.
The Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Cromer-lead The Last Duel was currently filming in Ireland, so given the concerns about the virus in Europe, it makes sense for filming to stop. Plus, Affleck will have more time to spend with his new beau, Ana de Armas. Meanwhile, The Little Mermaid was set to roll cameras early next week in London, so flying the cast home also makes sense given its European locale.
Disney said the films would be shut down for “a short time,” but there’s no insight into how long that stoppage will last.
March 13, 2020: AMC and Regal cut screenings by at least 50 percent in accordance with social distancing
While we’ve seen updates around the future of movies, we hadn’t seen many updates about the present of moving going. That changed on Friday, as AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas announced they’re reducing the capacity of their movie auditoriums by as much as 50 percent. AMC is the first major theatre chain to implement such a policy, which begins on March 14 and will last through the end of April 2020.
It should also be noted that AMC is the largest movie theater chain in the United States. Considering the hand-wringing over performance, this move will do little to curb fears around estimated projections for 2020’s performance. Anticipate other chains to follow suit shortly.
March 13, 2020: Netflix shuts down L.A. office, productions
While Netflix productions The Prom and Grace and Frankie had gone dark on Thursday, the studio hadn’t moved to shutter Stranger Things or its other shows. That changed Friday afternoon in the wake of the national emergency; all scripted TV and movies in production by Netflix—in both the US and Canada— will no longer move forward starting Monday, March 16 and will stay this way for two weeks.
Scarier news: The Los Angeles Times broke the news that Netflix has closed its L.A. office after an employee was revealed to have potentially contracted the disease.
March 13, 2020: FX joins in, stopping Atlanta, Fargo, Snowfall and the troubled Y: The Last Man adaptation
We’re never getting Season 3 of Atlanta, are we? After a few tweets from Donald Glover’s brother, FX officially announced they too are shutting down their shows which include the aforementioned Atlanta along with the fourth seasons of both Fargo (starring Chris Rock) and the late John Singleton’s L.A. cocaine drama Snowfall.
Worth drawing a specific callout is Y. Based on the Y: The Last Man comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan and drawn by Pia Guerra, the show—known simply as Y—has had a rocky road to series, including the departure of its original showrunners Aida Mashaka Croal and Michael Green (Blade Runner 2049, Logan, Alien: Covenant). For those unfamiliar with the plot, the series tracks the journey of the only man left in the world (Yorrick Brown) after a global event kills every other male in existence. I couldn’t make this up if I tried.
March 13, 2020: WarnerMedia shuts down HBO, HBO MAX, TBS, TNT, and TruTV shows
The donations tray for Righteous Gemstones has been called back, the train is halted on Snowpiercer, and Euphoria canceled classes as WarnerMedia stopped all of their shows early in the evening on Friday. It’s especially tough for Euphoria considering the cast just gathered for their first table read on March 11.
While Deadline couldn’t officially confirm shows outside of the ones mentioned, it’s safe to assume all currently in production shows across the five networks will be affected. Yes, this sadly might include our number one boy, Succession, which was supposed to start shooting in “April-ish.”
We will continue to update this post as more announcements are made.
