Business as usual has been a major victim of Covid-19, and that applies to the Hollywood Film Industry as well. Here’s the latest report.
by Ineye Komonibo
If you thought the worldwide panic about the latest coronavirus was only complicating your love life and your plans to inspire FOMO at Coachella next month, think again. The anxiety around COVID-19 is further reaching than many initially thought, and its repercussions are playing out on a global scale.
Hollywood is taking an especially huge hit because of the pandemic. COVID-19, which is spread through respiratory droplets or touching contaminated objects, has film companies rethinking their springtime rollouts. The logic is simple: if people are scared of catching coronavirus, they’ll try to limit their time in large crowds — which includes opting out of movie premieres at their local theaters.
The wildfire spread of the virus and the accompanying panic couldn’t have come at a worse time for the industry. March marks the beginning of blockbuster season, with a stream of exciting new films down the pipelines for audiences to shell out millions to watch. With its most lucrative release season at the mercy of the coronavirus, many films in Hollywood’s powerful 2020 lineup could be at risk of underperforming.
Wes Anderson’s “love letter to journalists” The French Dispatch has officially been moved to October 16. The film — which boasts a cast including Frances McDormand, Elisabeth Moss, Jeffrey Wright, and Timothée Chalamet in a bathtub — was originally set to debut July 24, making it one of the most highly-anticipated films of summer 2020. Instead, it will join the legions of other movies debuting when the leaves start to change. At least it gives us time to catch up on all the real-life journalists being depicted in the film, and finish our Wes Anderson summer reading list….