As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, a new kind of cancel culture is taking hold in the entertainment industry. In recent weeks, movie releases, film festivals, concerts and other events involving public crowds and international travel have taken a hit from the spread of the COVID-19 respiratory illness.
The coronavirus disruption that has closed movie theatres in China reached the British entertainment industry, as it has also caused widespread headaches for other Hollywood productions.
Movies
Just last week, popular James Bond film No Time to Die via the official Twitter account was postponed from the start of April till November after a careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical market place.
Production on Paramount’s latest Mission: Impossible project has been delayed. The action flick, starring Tom Cruise, was set to film on location in Italy, which has seen one of the largest outbreaks outside Asia. The seventh film in the franchise is scheduled to hit theaters in July 2021.
Major movie studios in China, including Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis and Hengdian World Studios, have shut down operations. The Chinese government has put an indefinite halt on all film production in the country.
Music
Two days ago 34 year old American singer Ciara had postponed an upcoming concert in Texas over fears about the coronavirus.
“With the continued spread of the corona throughout the US, as a pregnant woman, my doctors have advised me to limit travel and large group gatherings. I am disappointed I won’t be able to return this month to the place where I was born, Ft. Hood Texas, and put on the amazing show we had planned,” Ciara said in a statement.
“I urge everyone to be diligent in taking steps to stay healthy and safe,” Ciara said.
Likewise in the US, even the venerable South by Southwest music and technology festival in Austin, Texas, was canceled Friday, adding to a growing list of events being suspended around the world. Known as SXSW, the annual showcase of pop culture had been scheduled to run March 13 to 22
The Tomorrowland Winter 2020 electronic-music festival, set to run March 14-21 at a ski resort in the French Alps, has been canceled by organizers after the French government banned all indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 people. Tomorrowland Summer 2020 in Belgium was still on the schedule for July.
TV
The 33rd season of the Emmy-winning TV show “The Amazing Race” has ceased filming indefinitely and “all contestants and production staff are returning home,” according to a statement from CBS. No new production date has been set for the popular reality travel competition.
The 16th season of ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” starring 38-year-old Clare Crawley, will no longer shoot episodes in Italy, according to Variety. Filming internationally has not been ruled out entirely.
