It’s not just North American TV productions that are shutting down due to coronavirus pandemic concerns.
Netflix has hit pause on production at Arborfield Studios in the U.K. of the second season of its fantasy drama “The Witcher” for two weeks as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Netflix will continue to pay staff during the two-week stoppage.
“Witcher” was the first major scripted series to be halted in the U.K. because of coronavirus, though others quickly followed with the BBC’s acclaimed dramas “Peaky Blinders” and “Line of Duty” both shutting down. The BBC did not elaborate on the length of the filming hiatus on both shows, only that they will “continue to review all productions on a case-by-case basis”.
It’s a similar story over in New Zealand where Amazon’s mega-budget “The Lord of the Rings” TV series and Warners & Team Downey’s series adaption of Jeff Lemire’s comic “Sweet Tooth” have ground production to a halt for at least two weeks following the New Zealand Government’s decision to bring in tougher border controls.
Anyone who arrives into the country must isolate themselves for fourteen days. GSR Productions says in a memo sent to cast and crew that “there are no clear answers to when we will resume production”.
Back in the United States, Seth MacFarlane’s space dramedy “The Orville” has been put on hiatus for three weeks. The series is currently in production of its third season which will head to Hulu.
One series that is carrying on is Ava DuVernay’s pilot for the series adaptation of the comic “DMZ” for the HBO Max streaming service. In a statement on Twitter, DuVernay says the project will do its final two days of shooting today and tomorrow and will then wrap.
Source: Deadline, The New Zealand Herald
