The coronavirus outbreak has already had major implications on the well-being of humans, but as the U.S. and other countries around the world advise people to self-quarantine and institute travel bans, it’s also having a major impact on Hollywood.
Several upcoming movies, including Mission: Impossible 7 and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Red Notice, have paused production and sent casts and crews home. Films such as James Bond’s No Time to Die, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mulan have either postponed or canceled their China runs altogether. According to a February report from Business Insider, the outbreak could result in more than $1 billion of lost revenue for the film industry.
“There are so many moving parts and implications, not just for movie theaters but for public spaces in general,” Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told Business Insider on February 28. “The uncertainty is the one thing that is certain. At the end of the year, box-office numbers, particularly regarding China, are going to have an asterisk.”
The rapid spread of the virus has also resulted in the cancellation of music events and shut down production on several TV shows. Green Day and BTS are among the musical acts who have been forced to pushback tour dates in Asia. Talk shows initially filmed episodes without TV audiences, but have since opted to shut down for weeks. The Amazing Race pumped the brakes on its shoot, while filming of Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette had also been paused.
As global safety regulations have lessened, the industry has begun the process of returning to semi-normalcy with caution. The Batman returned to set in London in September after closing up shop in March, but production shut down for the second time after star Robert Pattinson reportedly contracted coronavirus. Production started back up later that month.
Casts from Grey’s Anatomy, The Conners, Mom, Riverdale and Supernatural have also made their way back to set. Meanwhile, talk shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Kelly Clarkson Show have utilized virtual audiences to make their return a bit smoother.
COVID-19 is an outbreak that stems from the coronavirus family, but the version that’s currently making rounds is unlike anything that’s previously been encountered. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the illness spreads primarily from person-to-person. Symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
The illness originated in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in December 2019 and has rapidly made its way across Asia. It has since spread across the world, with Italy, South Korea and Iran among the hardest hit. The World Health Organization declared coronavirus a pandemic on March 11, with director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying the situation will worsen.
“We expect to see the number of cases, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher,” he said.
As of September 30, more than 34 million people have been infected worldwide and the death toll has risen to over 1 million. In the U.S., more than seven million people have tested positive for the virus, which has killed at least 206,000.
Scroll down below to see a list of all the entertainment events that’s been impacted by the coronavirus.