The Coronavirus outbreak is disrupting entertainment events in Hollywood and around the world, from the theatrical releases of major studio tentpoles to the launch of film festivals and TV conferences. IndieWire will continue to update this page with the latest breaking news regarding production delays, festival cancellations, release date changes, and more entertainment disruptions caused by the coronavirus. The most recent updates will be posted at the top of the running list below.
September 11
–“Candyman,” from Universal/MGM/Bron/Monkeypaw, has been moved from October 16 to an unknown 2021 date. The film is directed by Nia DaCosta with a screenplay co-written by Jordan Peele.
August 11
–ReedPop, the producer of New York Comic Con, announced today that its physical event will not take place, which was slated to occur at the Javits Center. Instead, the event will be broadcast on YouTube as part of a partnership with the site from October 8-11.
The New York Comic Con’s YouTube channel will live stream panels from entertainment brands. This is on the heels of San Diego Comic-Con’s Comic-Con@Home program, which wrapped earlier this month. But the New York con appears to be taking a different approach: While Comic-Con@Home featured many familiar faces and brands, its content was pre-recorded and edited before being made live at a certain time. The New York event will allow for participation in the form of Q&As and live chat with other fans through YouTube’s Community and Live Chat features. We are thoroughly disappointed that we can’t gather together, in-person for the New York Comic Con we love to build and our fans love to revel in. We look forward to this weekend all year long, just like you, and with this being our 15th edition, we were particularly excited. I will miss walking up and down artist alley and seeing friends that I’ve made since we were in the basement at the Javits Center,” said Lance Fensterman, President of ReedPop. “While this year will definitely be a different experience, we are going to look to bring the best and most engaging event to our fans, exhibitors, and studios through our partnership with YouTube.” Planned panels include ones centered around Starz’ “American Gods,” CBS All Access’ “Star Trek” universe, DreamWorks Animation, and Hulu/FX. ReedPop is also planning a virtual marketplace that seeks to recreate the experience of browsing exhibitors’ and creators’ booths.
July 28
-CES 2021, the annual technology trade show scheduled to run January 6-9, 2021, will not be presented in person in favor of an online event. It’s the latest event canceled due to the pandemic, but also among the ones scheduled for farthest in the future — an indication that the pandemic might begin derailing other 2021 events.
“Amid the pandemic and growing global health concerns about the spread of COVID-19, it’s just not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person,” CTA president/CEO Gary Shapiro said in a statement, according to Variety. This year’s CES drew 170,000 people and 4,400 exhibiting companies.
June 30
-The Franco-American Cultural Fund’s COLCOA French Film Festival will not take place this year in September as originally planned, and instead organizers are planning next year’s edition, which will run from September 20-26, 2021 in Los Angeles.
June 26
-Solstice Studios has moved its flagship film, the thriller “Unhinged” starring Russell Crowe, to July 31. The film was originally set for July 1, and then July 10, before Friday’s announcement. –Disney has postponed “Mulan” once again. Niki Caro’s big budget live-action take on the beloved story will now arrive on August 21, after initially moving from March to July.
June 25
-The long road to the “Tenet” theatrical release continues as Warner Bros. is delaying the Christopher Nolan espionage epic to August 12. The release change marks the second delay for the Nolan epic amid the coronavirus pandemic. Warner Bros. originally set “Tenet” for release on July 17, before being moved again to July 31.
June 15
–Disney and Lucasfilm have pulled the plug on the latest iteration of Star Wars Celebration, an annual gathering of “Star Wars” fans and creators that often serves as the introduction of scads of news about upcoming projects. The event will resume in 2022, August 18-21.
June 14
-The James Bond film “No Time to Die,” releasing from MGM and Universal, has been shifted once again. Pushed from April to November 25 earlier this year, the movie directed by Cary Fukunaga will now open November 20 in the U.S., but will keep its U.K. premiere date of November 12.
June 13
–Universal Pictures has yanked Miguel Sapochnik’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie “Bios,” starring Tom Hanks, from its October 2 release. The movie will now drop on April 16, 2021. –Warner Bros. has moved “Witches” from October 9, 2020 to a yet unknown date; “Godzilla vs Kong” from November 20, 2020 to May 21, 2021; “Tom & Jerry” from December 23, 2020 to March 5, 2021; and the untitled new “Matrix” movie from May 21, 2021 to April 1, 2022. –Warner Bros. has pushed the DC tentpole “Wonder Woman 1984” to October 2, just after announcing the change in release for the studio’s own “Tenet.” Patty Jenkins’ superhero sequel was set to debut in theaters on August 14, after already being pushed back from June 5 earlier this year. –Warner Bros. has shifted the release date of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” from its planned bow on July 17 to July 31. In its place, the studio will present 10th-anniversary screenings of Nolan’s “Inception” in theaters.
-Solstice Studios has moved the Russell Crowe-starring “Unhinged” from July 1 to July 10 for a U.S. theatrical release.
May 20
-The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain canceled its 2021 awards event, one of the few events scrubbed from the calendar that far in advance and an early indication of just how much the upcoming film awards season may be affected. The industry is rumbling about just what ceremonies may be postponed or have altered eligibility requirements next year — the Academy Awards will be considering films released directly on streaming as long as they had planned a theatrical release — and the British Writers’ Guild is the first to make such a dramatic move. The London-based organization’s chair, Lisa Holdsworth, called the pandemic “an existential threat.” -The Shanghai Film Festival, scheduled for June 13-23, has been postponed with no new dates set. Since being the first major hotspot for the coronavirus pandemic, China has made a remarkable recovery. Earlier in May, the government allowed the nation’s cinemas to begin reopening so long as they follow proper social distancing protocols. It’s been expected that cinemas would be in the midst of a full-blown reopening in June, so it might come as a surprise that the Shanghai Film Festival won’t be the first to attempt a socially distanced event. The logistics of holding a film festival under social distancing rules has inspired a lot of headscratching about how film festivals may be permanently changed. So far both the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival are still set for late August and early September, respectively, and those events could be a chance to see what a film festival will be like in the new reality.
May 18
–Focus Features’ horror movie “Come Play” has moved off of Friday July 24, 2020, and will now be released on Friday October 30, 2020 domestically in North America. The film stars Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.
May 15
–Focus Features has moved Edgar Wright’s thriller “Last Night in Soho” from a September 25 release date to some time in 2021. Production on the film was halted due to COVID-19.
May 2
–Paramount Pictures has set a release date for the next “Transformers” installment. The yet-to-be-titled film will open in theaters on June 24, 2022.
May 1
–The TCA announced Friday they are canceling their summer tour in response to the on-going public health crisis and prohibition of large gatherings. More here. –Lionsgate has pushed “John Wick: Chapter 4” from May 2021 to May 27, 2022. The announcement comes with a wave of date changes for the studio. Filling the May 2021 gap left by “Chapter 4” will be “Spiral,” the “Saw” reboot that the studio originally dated for May 15, 2020. Read more Lionsgate updates here.
April 27
–Universal Pictures has moved Judd Apatow’s upcoming “The King of Staten Island” straight to VOD, premiering June 12. Starring and co-written by Pete Davidson, the semi-autobiographic comedy would’ve opened in theaters on June 19, and saw its planned world premiere at SXSW canceled, as well as at Tribeca.
April 24
–Walt Disney Studios has just reshuffled a rash of dates. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” previously dated for November 5, 2021, has been pushed to March 25, 2022. “Thor: Love and Thunder” has been bumped up from February 18, 2022, to February 11, 2022. –Sony Pictures has also reordered its slate, moving the untitled “Spider-Man: Far From Home” sequel to November 5, 2021, from July 16, 2021. Another Spidey sequel also got moved, with the followup to “Into the Spider-Verse” shifting to October 7, 2022, off of a planned April 8, 2022 release date. “Hotel Transylvania 4” will now open on August 6, 2021, instead of December 22, 2021. –Paramount has pushed back the release of the next two “Mission: Impossible” sequels. The seventh entry, originally slated to hit theaters on July 21, 2021, will now open on November 19, 2021. The eighth sequel will head to theaters on November 4, 2022, instead of August 5, 2022.
April 21
-Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In the Heights” has been moved to June 18, 2021. The movie was initially planned to hit theaters June 26 before being postponed indefinitely last month. -The “Venom” sequel, entitled “Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage” will now be released June 25, 2021. The film, which was in post-production was originally set to release October 2 of this year.
April 20
-Warner Bros. has moved Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” back by four months, with the film now opening October 1, 2021. Originally set to release June 25, 2021, the film saw its production halted last month. Warners also pushed fellow DC film “The Flash” up to June 3, 2022, from August 1, while “Shazam 2″ moves back to November 4, 2022 (from April 1, 2022). –Warner Bros. has also moved “The Sopranos” prequel, “The Many Saints of Newark.” The film was set to launch September 25 this year, but now has been moved to March 21, 2021.
April 15
–The Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious parallel sections Directors’ Fortnight, Critics’ Week, and Acid have been canceled for their 2020 editions. The move follows an announcement by the festival itself that the world’s most important film gathering would not happen “in its usual form” during dates that had been eyed in June after French President Emmanuel Macron announced all public gatherings would be banned in the nation through mid-July. The Marche du Film will exist, at least in part, in a virtual form, however.
April 14
–Paramount Pictures’ “Infinite” has been moved to May 28, 2021 for a theatrical release. The Antoine Fuqua-directed feature, starring Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor was originally scheduled to release August 7. The movie had finished filming Christmas Day and was scheduled to release a sizzle reel at both SXSW and Cinemacon before both events were cancelled.
–Paramount and Nickelodeon Studios have postponed the release of “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run” to August 7. The film was initially slated for July 31. –The Tour de France has been postponed. The event was initially scheduled to take place June 27 through July 19. It is hoped that that the prestigious biking tournament will be staged at a later date, though nothing is confirmed.
April 13
–Disney and Pixar’s upcoming film “Soul” has been moved to November 20, 2020, for a theatrical release. It was originally dated to premiere on June 19 this year, but was postponed amid theater shutdowns.
April 11
–Around 43,000 unionized workers of Walt Disney World will be furloughed, according to the Service Trades Council. Affected employees are immediately eligible for unemployment benefits in Florida, and those with insurance can keep their benefits for up to a year. Disney says it will pay all insurance costs.
April 10
–HBO Max’s “Friends” reunion special will not be available when the platform launches in May. It was originally expected to be a launch title. –Blumhouse Productions has laid off staff and cut its executives’ salaries, according to Variety.
April 8
-The shut-down of Broadway has been extended to June 7, though it’s assumed that date will be pushed further. The 41 venues that make up New York City’s Great White Way were originally hoping to reopen by April 12. “Our top priority continues to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatergoers and the thousands of people who work in the the theater industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers and many other dedicated professionals,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League in a prepared statement. ” “Broadway will always be at the very heart of the Big Apple, and we join with artists, theater professionals and fans in looking forward to the time when we can once again experience live theater together.”
April 7
–The Annecy Animation Film Festival has been cancelled. The world’s leading animation film festival was scheduled to celebrate its 60th anniversary in Annecy, France on June 15-20. In a prepared statement festival organizers said, “During the last weeks, driven by our passion and enthusiasm, we were hoping to be able to offer the exceptional (anniversary) that was in preparation despite the constraints of confinement. But our reason and international situation are forcing us to act with lucidity and responsibility.” The festival will screen a portion of their offerings in an online event set to be unveiled on April 15.
April 6
–“Archer” Season 11 has been delayed to sometime later in the year. The FXX animated comedy was originally scheduled to premiere on May 6. –The Munich Film Festival has been canceled. It was supposed to happen June 25 through July 4.
April 3
–Disney has made major calendar changes, with new release dates for “Mulan,” “Black Widow,” and “Eternals.” The Mouse House also shifted “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Seven Rings,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and “Thor: Love and Thunder.” “Artemis Fowl” will skip theatrical and go directly to streaming via Disney+. –Searchlight has moved the premiere of Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” from July 24 to October 16, putting the film in the heart of the Oscar race. –Universal/MGM has moved the “Candyman” sequel from June 12 to September 25. The new film is directed/co-written by Nia DaCosta and produced/co-written by Jordan Peele, expanding on the 1992 original. –The Montréal Just for Laughs Festival will be postponed to September 29 through October 11, 2020. The event was originally slated for late July. Further details on the Festival will be announced in the coming months. –HBO has moved the premiere of its new limited series “The Third Day” to this fall. The show, starring Jude Law and Naomi Harris, was originally scheduled to debut on May 11. -The 2020 Cannes Lions festival is canceled. The June festival was originally eyeing a delay to October, but the 2020 has now been scrapped and the next Cannes Lions event will take place June 21-25, 2021. “As the impact from COVID-19 continues to be felt across the world on consumers and our customers across the marketing, creative and media industries, it has become clear to us our customers’ priorities have shifted to the need to protect people, to serve consumers with essential items and to focus on preserving companies, society and economies,” said organizers.
April 2
-The Democratic National Convention has been pushed back from July to mid-August, the DNC has announced. The convention was originally set to take place between July 13-16 –Paramount Pictures has announced a handful of release date changes: Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun: Maverick” is moving from June 24 to December 23, 2020. “A Quiet Place Part II” will now open nationwide September 4. “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run” is moving from May 22 to July 31, 2020. The Tom Hanks-starring “The Tomorrow War” is moving off its December 25 release date.
April 1
–Universal has rescheduled “Minions: The Rise of Gru” for July 2, 2021, which was previously the date the studio was using to open “Sing 2.” That animated sequel will now move to December 22, 2021. Universal’s “Wicked” musical adaptation is being bumped from Christmas 2021 to another date in the future. -The 2020 Frameline LGBTQ+ Film Festival is being delayed until fall 2020. The event was originally scheduled to take place June 18-28 in San Francisco. “During this challenging and uncertain time, organizations have to make tough decisions about whether or not to proceed with planned events,” said San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed. “While it isn’t an easy decision to postpone, I’m glad that Frameline is committed to finding ways to continue supporting filmmakers and artists who offer diverse points of view and share their stories of overcoming obstacles.”
–The 2020 Wimbledon tennis tournament has been canceled. The event was scheduled to take place between June 29 and July 12.
March 30
–Sony Pictures has pushed back many of its upcoming film releases: “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” will release on March 5, 2021; “Morbius, March 19, 2021; “Uncharted,” October 8, 2021; “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, January 15, 2021. The releases of “Greyhound” and an untitled Sony-Marvel collaboration that was set for October next year have been indefinitely delayed. However, the release of “Fatherhood” has been bumped up to October 23. –The 2020 MIDEM conference in Cannes has been canceled. The music event was scheduled to take place June 2-5 and will be replaced by a digital edition. The 2021 MIDEM is still on the calendar for June 1-4 in Cannes. “The situation related to the coronavirus is changing daily, as are government announcements and restrictions. These impact the way that we all lead our lives and conduct business. Given the uncertainty surrounding the virus and companies’ concerns for the safety of their people, it is not possible to hold Midem in June in Cannes,” said Alexandre Deniot, Midem Director. “The Midem team is working hard to support the industry during this challenging time, especially artists and companies that have been hardest hit and when global music unity is more important than ever,” added Alexandre Deniot.
March 27
–HBO has halted production on Season 3 of “Succession,” and season 3 of “Barry.” It’s unclear when either show will resume production. In a statement, an HBO representative said, “We are looking forward to resuming preproduction when it is safe and healthy for everyone working on our shows to do so. Where possible, our writers are continuing to write remotely.”
March 26
–“The Undoing” HBO drama miniseries will not premiere until sometime in the fall. It was originally scheduled to premiere in May. –The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival has been postponed. The event has been rescheduled for September 16-20. –Governors Ball 2020 has been cancelled. The music festival was scheduled to take place on June 5-7 and would’ve featured performances from Tame Impala, Danny Brown, Missy Elliott, Vampire Weekend, and a handful of other notable artists. – Peabody announced today that its annual ceremony, the Peabody Awards, will be postponed from the previously announced date of June 18, 2020 in Los Angeles, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group said: “The safety of guests, staff, as well as partners involved in the annual ceremony remains top priority and as such, Peabody is monitoring the situation to determine a more appropriate time to host the ceremony.”
March 25
–AMC Theatres has furloughed all 600 of its corporate staffers, including CEO Adam Aron. The move comes after the company, the country’s largest theater chain, shuttered all its locations and subsequently furloughed or let go 26,000 of the employees working at locations around the country.
The move for headquarters staff is meant to cut costs during a time when the company isn’t making any money. None have been let go, but the plan calls for working reduced hours for reduced pay or working no hours for no pay. They’ll continue to receive benefits including healthcare. -The 74th Annual Tony Awards have been postponed. The awards were initially set to air on CBS on June 7th from Radio City Music Hall in New York. The Tony Awards, honoring the best of the Broadway stage, said in a prepared statement that “The health and safety of the Broadway community, artists and fans is of the utmost importance to us.” The statement went on to say the awards will be presented at a later date, though there is no additional information beyond that. The entirety of Broadway has been shut down since early March. –Inside Out has officially postponed their anniversary festival to October 1-11, 2020. The event is one of the largest LGBTQ film festivals in North America and single largest promoter and distributor of LGBTQ content in Canada. –Sundance is postponing its 2020 events in London and Hong Kong. In a statement issued Tuesday, organizers said: “We have made the decision to reimagine the 58 live programs we had planned through August 2020,” and that these events “will no longer be in-person gatherings.”
March 24
–Warner Bros. has pushed the release of “Wonder Woman 1984” from June 5 to August 14. Additionally, the musical adaptation of “In the Heights” has being postponed indefinitely from its June 26 date. Other films being delayed include “Scoob” (set for May 15 originally) and “Malignant” (set for August 14 originally). -The 24th American Black Film Festival is being postponed. The 2020 event was scheduled to take place June 17–21 in Miami Beach and will take take place October 21-25, 2020. “ABFF is a destination event that attracts participants from around the world, which is why we made the difficult but necessary decision to postpone the 24th American Black Film Festival,” said ABFF Ventures CEO, Jeff Friday. “While we remain committed to providing a program for storytellers who rely on ABFF to showcase their work, at this time, our main priority is the health of our staff, attendees, and corporate partners.” -The 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed a year until 2021. The announcement was made by the International Olympic Committee and Japan, which was scheduled to host the games this year in Tokyo. Click here to read more about the 2020 Olympic postponement. -The 2020 CineEurope convention has been postponed. The exhibitor event is similar to CinemaCon in the U.S. and was scheduled to take place this June in Barcelona. “We feel that holding the 2020 show is important, not just for the morale of the industry (we will not by then have had a major convention for over 12 months), but also as a clear signal that we are again ‘open for business,’” the group said in a short statement. “We will of course not stage CineEurope 2020 unless it is safe to do so and we know that the convention will be successfu. If the outbreak continues at that time, or if travel restrictions do not allow everyone to travel, then we will of course not proceed.”
–Singapore is closing all of its cinemas for a month in order to combat the coronavirus outbreak. All movie theaters will shut down starting Thursday, March 26 and remain closed until April 30.
March 23
–BAMcinemaFest has been canceled. The New York platform for emerging independent filmmakers was scheduled to kick off its 12th edition on June 11. –VidCon 2020 has been canceled. The convention for internet video creators and fans, which would’ve taken place June 17-20 in Anaheim, California, hopes to reschedule to a date in the fall. –The release of director Carl Hunter’s “Sometimes Always Never” has been postponed until further notice by Blue Fox Entertainment. It stars Bill Nighy, Sam Riley, Alice Lowe, Jenny Agutter, and Tim McInnerny. –The Provincetown International Film Festival will no longer take place. The event was originally scheduled for June 17 through 21.
March 22
–Australia has ordered the closure of all movie theaters in the country. As announced by the federal government, the shutdown will take effect beginning Monday in Australia.
March 21
–The launch of Disney+ has been delayed in France until April 7. Disney, meanwhile, also had to join other streamers in the European Union who’ve had to reduce their video quality to use less bandwidth. –AMC has halted the premiere of “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” a spinoff of the hit zombie series. It was slated to debut on April 12. A new launch date has not been set. -The Broadway revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” will not resume performances at New York’s Booth Theatre following the coronavirus shutdown. The play starring Laurie Metcalfe and Rupert Everett was in previews, and intended to relaunch on April 13.
March 20
–Fathom Events has canceled or postponed some of their upcoming slate as theaters around the country have closed their doors. “Bolshoi Ballet: Jewels,” “Steven Universe: The Movie Sing-A-Long Event,” “The Met: Live in HD – Tosca,” and “The Met: Live in HD – Maria Stuarda” have been canceled. “Apollo 13” 25th Anniversary, “Bolshoi Ballet: Romeo and Juliet,” “Braveheart” 25th Anniversary, “Chasing Whiskey,” “Children of the Sea,” “Climate Hustle 2,” “Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna,” “Dino Dana The Movie,” “Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] I. presage flower & II. lost butterfly” Double Feature, “Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] III. spring song,” “Gladiator” 20th Anniversary, “I Am Patrick,” “Patterns of Evidence: The Red Sea Miracle II,” “PROMARE” (Complete), “Robert the Bruce,” Sight & Sound Theatres presents: “JESUS,” TCM Big Screen Classics: “A League of Their Own,” “The Carol Burnett Show: Laugh All Night,” and “The Rachel and Dave Hollis Variety Show” have been postponed. -The 2020 Produced By Conference has been postponed. The event, which convenes in Los Angeles as hosted by the Producers Guild of America, was set to take place on June 6 and June 7. A future date has not been announced.
-The Havana Film Festival New York, originally set for April 28 through May 5, has been postponed, with a new date hoped to be set for the fall of this year. -The launch of Disney+ in India has been postponed indefinitely. The streaming platform, already available in the U.S., was scheduled for launch March 29. Uday Shankar, president of The Walt Disney Company APAC, and chairman of Star and Disney India, said in a prepared statement: “We recently announced that Disney Plus would launch in India through the Hotstar service in conjunction with beginning of the Indian Premier League cricket season. Given the delay of the season, we have made the decision to briefly pause the roll-out of Disney Plus and will announce a new revised premiere date for the service soon.” –Production on Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biographical drama has been suspended indefinitely. The production originally went on a break after co-star Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson tested positive for coronavirus. Now the production is indefinitely postponed. The filmmaker took to his personal Twitter account to announce the hiatus in filming, writing that now “is not the moment to be resuming production on the film.” Luhrmann continued, “All going well, we have a passionate conviction to be back here on the Gold Coast, picking up where we left off as soon as the time is right. In fact, we are not even taking our sets down, simply locking up the creative space over the next few days. We all agree that right now this is the right time for people all over the world, from all walks of life, to be at home, indoors, with their loved ones (washing our hands five times a day).” A Warner Bros. spokesperson said: “Despite valiant efforts, due to current world events, production on the Elvis film cannot proceed at this time. We will commence principal photography once circumstances permit.”
March 19
-The 47th annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony has been canceled. Originally set for June 12 in Pasadena, CA, the event has not been given a future date by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Per Deadline, the Academy still hopes to announce nominees this spring, while looking toward alternative ways to honor the selected talent and programs. –This year’s Cannes Film Festival has been postponed, organizers announced March 19, with new dates being considered for the end of June. The event was originally set for May 12 through 23. More details here. –Illumination’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru” has now been moved to a release date to be announced later. It was set to release on July 3, but Illumination Mac Guff studio in Paris has been forced to temporarily close. -The Webby Awards 2020 Show has been canceled. The event was set to take place May 11, 2020, in New York City. However, the awards will be handed out via an online celebration, with nominees to be announced in the coming weeks.
March 18
-The 46th Seattle International Film Festival has been canceled. The festival was originally scheduled to run from May 14 to June 7. -Per Variety: “The 2020 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, in Manchester, Tennessee, has been postponed due to concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The festival, originally scheduled to take place June 11–14 at Great Stage Park, has been moved to the weekend of September 24–27.” -The 2020 Cannes Lions festival of creativity is being delayed until October. The festival said in a statement: “We have made the decision to move forward with our contingency plan and the festival will now take place from Oct. 26-30. As always, the health, safety and well-being of our community is our priority. The decision was made following productive talks with our valued partners and customers and following consultation with public health officials, the City of Cannes and the French authorities.” -The Eurovision singing competition is canceled. The 2020 music event was scheduled to take place May 12-16 in the Netherlands. This marks the first time in Eurovision history that the contest has been canceled. -The 2020 Sarasota Film Festival is being postponed. This year’s event was scheduled for April 1-5. -Lionsgate is moving summer releases “Spiral: From the Book of Saw” (May 15), “Run” (May 8), and “Antebellum” (April 24) off the calendar for now. -The 2020 Glastonbury music festival is canceled. This year’s event was scheduled to take place June 24-28. Event organizers said in a statement: “Clearly this was not a course of action we hoped to take for our 50th anniversary event, but following the new government measures announced this week – and in times of such unprecedented uncertainty – this is now our only viable option.” The festival maintains that it hopes the coronavirus outbreak “will have improved enormously by the end of June,” but it can’t move forward with preparations for an event that is home to over 200,000 guests. Ticket buyers will see their deposits rolled over into next year so they will have a guaranteed opportunity to buy tickets for 2021. -The 2020 Edinburgh Film Festival is being postponed for June. The festival hopes re-stage parts of its festival at a later date this year. Ken Hay, the CEO of Edinburgh International Film Festival, said in a statement: “It is with huge regret that we have taken the necessary decision to postpone the 74th Edinburgh International Film Festival. Film festivals are critical platforms for films and filmmakers to reach and engage with audiences, and EIFF has done this uninterrupted for 74 years. However the health and wellbeing of our staff, filmmaker guests and audiences has to be the first consideration. We are looking at which elements of the Festival may be delivered later in the year and we will keep you informed as plans develop. For now, we would like to thank our funders, sponsors, partners, staff, donors, patrons, filmmakers, sales agents, distributors and audiences for their loyalty, support and understanding in these unprecedented times.”
March 17
-The Cinemark theater chain has indefinitely shut down all of its locations. -The Netflix Is A Joke Fest week-long comedy festival has been postponed. The Los Angeles event was scheduled to begin April 27. -The 2020 Women+Film Festival has been postponed. The Denver event was scheduled for April 14-19. Festival organizers said they hope to reschedule the event for later in the year. -The 2020 Sonoma International Film Festival is being postponed. The event was scheduled to take place March 25-29. SIFF Executive Director Kevin McNeely states: “The health, wellness and safety of our festivalgoers, sponsors, vendors, donors, volunteers, and employees is paramount, therefore SIFF is following the recommendations from public health agencies regarding the COVID-19 epidemic and is postponing the 2020 edition of the festival to a later date.” –IFC is moving the releasing of Václav Marhoul’s “The Painted Bird.” The drama was originally scheduled to open April 17 but will now be distributed sometime in summer 2020. -London’s 2020 Olivier Awards are cancelled. The awards ceremony is London’s equivalent of the Tony Awards, honoring the best in theater. The Society of London Theatre said in a statement: “Following the government’s new advice on social distancing yesterday, and the subsequent closing of many theatres and public venues, we no longer feel that it is feasible to host the ceremony that we had planned to deliver,” SOLT said in a statement today. It said all tickets would be refunded.” –Disney is postponing the releases of major May releases “Black Widow,” “Woman in the Window,” and “The Personal History of David Copperfield.” The MCU film was made through Disney, which “Woman in the Window” is from 20th Century Studios and “David Copperfield” hails from Searchlight. -The 2020 Uranium Film Festival is cancelled. The festival said in a statement: “The Coronavirus-Situation worsened wold-wide. It is not possible anymore to organize the International Uranium Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro, May 21 – May 31, 2020. Out of responsibility towards our international filmmakers and because of the global uncertainty over the next two months – we have to cancel and postpone the event. Please inform your colleagues and friends. “ –BAFTA is postponing the 2020 Television Craft Awards and Television Awards. The events were scheduled for April 26 and May 17, respectively. Both ceremonies will be postponed until later this year. BAFTA said in a statement: “The announcement of the nominations, scheduled for next Thursday 26 March, will also be postponed until closer to the ceremony. We’re working with all our partners to explore options for new dates and we hope to be in a position to confirm them in the coming weeks.”
-The European soccer championship has been moved from 2020 to 2021. The tournament had been scheduled to take place June 12 – July 12 throughout Europe. –The 2020 Kentucky Derby is being postponed until September 5. This year will be the first time the horse race is not held on the first Saturday of May since 1945. –Thailand is closing all movie theaters and other entertainment facilities. These locations will be closed from March 18-31. –Production on James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels have been suspended in New Zealand. Producer Jon Landau told the New Zealand Herald, “We’ve delayed it. We had plans to come down Friday night with a group of people and start back up and we made the decision to hold off and continue working here [Los Angeles], and come down there a little bit later than we’d planned. If I told you we are going to know something in two weeks I’d be lying. I might not be wrong – even a broken clock is right twice a day. But I would be lying because I don’t know…We’re in the midst of a global crisis and this is not about the film industry. I think everybody needs to do now whatever we can do, as we say here, to flatten the [coronavirus] curve.” Weta will continue to work on the visual effects for the movie for now. -United Kingdom movie theater chains Cineworld and Odeon have closed call their locations in the U.K. as the country tries to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Phil Clapp, the chief executive of the U.K. Cinema Association, says nearly all theaters in the U.K. will close over the coming days. “Mindful of the latest scientific advice from the government, the coming days will see the closure of most U.K. cinema sites,” he said in a statement. “The priority now is to ensure that the thousands who work in the sector, many of them young people, are helped during what will be an exceptionally challenging period for them, and that cinema venues across the country are supported to overcome what for many will represent an unprecedented challenge to their existence.”
March 16
–CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” have suspended production for two weeks, according to Deadline. –All Alamo Drafthouse Cinema locations have been indefinitely closed, excluding the Winchester, VA theater. All tickets will be automatically refunded, excluding tickets purchased in-person, which can be refunded by reaching out to the chain. Season Pass members’ accounts and billing will be paused. -All Landmark Theatres will be temporarily closed, effective end of day Monday. The theater chain did not specify when its locations would reopen. -The Newport Beach Film Festival has moved the April event to August 6 through 13, 2020, in and around Newport Beach, CA. It was originally slated to take place April 30 through 30.
-The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD, has closed until further notice. Patrons with tickets to future screenings are eligible to request refunds. -The GLAAD Media Awards have been canceled in New York and postponed in Los Angeles. The ceremony honoring the best in LGBTQ-advocating media was set for March 19 in New York City, and in LA on April 16. GLAAD hopes to set a new LA date for the fall. –FX has postponed the premiere date for Season 4 of “Fargo,” which was set to air on Sunday, April 19. With production now halted, a new date will be determined once it resumes. –CBS has halted production on “S.W.A.T.,” which was finishing the penultimate episode of Season 3. The shoot was taking place in Los Angeles. –“Saturday Night Live” has postponed its upcoming shows indefinitely. NBC’s comedy series was slated to return March 28 with John Krasinski, whose “A Quiet Place” sequel was recently shelved by Paramount, as host and Dua Lipa as the musical guest. –Sony has put a pin in production on “Uncharted,” the video-game adaptation set to start shooting in Berlin next month, for six weeks. It’s unclear how this will impact the March 5, 2021 release date for the film, starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, and Antonio Banderas, with Ruben Fleischer directing. –The Met Gala, originally set for May 4, has been postponed. A new date for the event, which benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and was to be hosted by Meryl Streep, Emma Stone, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, has not been set. That last time the event saw a cancellation was in 2002 after September 11. –A24 has announced plans to pull “First Cow” from theaters and relaunch the film later this year. The company said in a statement: “We are going to relaunch Kelly Reichardt’s highly acclaimed western later this year, once the marketplace has rebounded from the limitations presented by COVID-19. We love Reichardt’s stunning and unique film – which the New York Times has hailed as a masterpiece and Esquire has named as the best film of the year – and we want to provide audiences with the best possible opportunity to see it on the big screen. We are confident that later this year the theatrical landscape for independent cinema will be back in full force, and we look forward to introducing First Cow to a wider audience then.” –Strand Releasing is postponing the theatrical release for Christophe Honoré’s “On a Magical Night.” The drama debuted in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was supposed to open in U.S. theaters beginning March 27. –The murder trial of “The Jinx” subject Robert Durst is being postponed. The news comes after the Los Angeles Superior Court announced all criminal and civil trials are being delayed for at least 30 days amidst the coronavirus outbreak.
–Warner Bros. is stopping production on “The Matrix 4,” which had recently moved from San Francisco to Berlin, Germany. The movie is being directed by Lana Wachowski and features returning franchise actors Keanu Reeves and Carrie Ann Moss. Deadline first reported the news. –Warner Bros. is postponing production on the third “Fantastic Beasts” movie, was scheduled to begin production in the U.K. today. The film joins other Warner Bros. tentpoles such as “The Batman” in pushing back production because of coronavirus outbreak in the country. -Production on the Randall Emmett-directed serial killer movie “Midnight In The Switchgrass” has been suspended after one week. -Chicago Media Project is postponing the fifth annual Doc10 Film Festival. The group said in a statement: “Amid concern regarding COVID-19, we have made the decision to postpone the Doc10 Film Festival. We take the health and safety of both our audience and staff very seriously and we are taking preventative steps to ensure the wellbeing of our community.” -AGC Studios has delayed the start of production on “Geechee,” a thriller starring Andrea Riseborough. –Sony Pictures Classics is delaying the release of “The Climb,” which was scheduled to open March 20. The film’s release is being “delayed several months” but no new date has been announced. –Production on Paul Schrader’s “The Card Cutter” is being suspended with just five days left of filming after a cast member tested positive for coronavirus. The actor had flown from Los Angeles to the film’s Biloxi, Missouri set. The set is now closed and everyone has been asked to go home. The film stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, and Willem Dafoe. -The Charlotte Film Society is postponing all of its April programming and screenings. The organization said in a statement: “The well-being of our members, supporters and volunteers is paramount. Our decision is also in line with NC Gov. Roy Cooper’s order and the CDC’s guidelines about avoiding group gatherings at this time. The medical evidence tells us that this is one key way to slow the progress of the virus.” –Disney is closing all of its retail stores in North America, plus the Walt Disney World Resort hotels are being closed. All Disney retail locations will be closed by March 17.
–Sony is shutting down production on its live-action musical “Cinderella,” starring Camila Cabello and Billy Porter. Kay Cannon is attached as director. -The iHeartRadio Music Awards are being postponed. The ceremony was set to air live on Fox on Sunday, March 29, from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Usher had been tapped to host. –AMC has announced screenings across the country will be limited to 50 moviegoers each. “The health of our guests and employee teams comes first for AMC,” the theater chain said in a statement. “Therefore, effective immediately, at all our U.S. theaters that are open, we will limit ticket sales per showtime in each of our theatre auditoriums to a maximum of 50 percent of normal seating capacity and a maximum of 50 people, whichever is less.” –Production on BBC series “Peaky Blinders” and “Line of Duty” is being suspended. A BBC spokeswoman said: “In light of the spread of Covid-19, after much consideration, the producers Caryn Mandabach Productions and Tiger Aspect Productions of Peaky Blinders S6 have postponed filming, and World Productions on Line of Duty S6 have suspended filming, both in consultation with and supported by the BBC.” –Netflix has suspending production on “The Witcher” Season 2. A source close to “The Witcher” production shared the email sent to staff to Variety: “The coronavirus has raised challenging issues for everyone working on set on productions for Netflix. We are very grateful for all the work everyone has done to keep cast and crew safe during this pandemic. Cast and crew health is our primary concern. We are dealing with an unprecedented global pandemic that is beyond our control, and in many instances with mandates or restrictions imposed by governments (including travel restrictions in many countries). “As such, we have made the decision, effective immediately, to pause production for two weeks during this difficult time, and we will support our production partners working on Netflix UK scripted series in doing the same. This will allow everyone the time to make informed decisions about how to move forward.” -The 2020 BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival is being canceled. The festival said in a statement: “It’s with heavy hearts that the BFI announces that due to the scale and complexity of running a large international film festival with filmmakers set to travel to it from across the world, it has taken the very difficult decision to cancel the 2020 edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival (18-29th March) as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly evolves. BFI Flare is a very special and long standing festival with a loyal and dedicated following and we realise that this is a very disappointing situation for audiences, our staff and Festival teams and all of the incredibly talented and passionate filmmakers involved. We know this decision affects individuals in different ways and we respectfully ask people to please bear with us over the next days as we work through the impacts of cancellation and also look at ways of sharing some elements of BFI Flare digitally.”
–India is shutting down all film and television productions from March 19-31in an attempt to slow down the coronavirus. Per Deadline, “Producers already on shoots both in India and overseas have been given three days to wrap up work. Among the productions impacted are Viacom18 Motion Pictures’ ‘Forrest Gump’ remake ‘Laal Singh Chaddha,’ starring Aamir Khan.”
March 15
-Beginning on Tuesday, March 17, per an executive order from New York City mayor Bill De Blasio, all movie theaters in the city will be closed, along with restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues, indefinitely. Los Angeles is also closing down theaters. –The 55th Academy of Country Music Awards, which was scheduled to air live on the CBS Television Network on Sunday, April 5 out Las Vegas is postponed. The show will be rescheduled to air on CBS in September at a to-be-determined place and time. –Hulu has suspended production on the Emmy-winning series “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which was filming its fourth season. It’s produced by MGM Television. –Hot Docs has cancelled all upcoming screenings and events at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema and will close doors as of end of day on March 15. They hope to reopen by April 10 and will be monitoring developments to determine if this is possible. -Netflix has halted production on “Red Notice,” starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds. The film began shooting internationall in February before recently moving production to Atlanta. The cast and crew will continue to be paid during the two-week hiatus. –“Jimmy Kimmy Live!” will swap time slots with “Nightline,” moving to 12:05 a.m. ET on Tuesday, March 17, with “Nightline” moving to 11:35 p.m. ET. This is in order to deliver timely coronavirus updates. –MGM’s Sylvester Stallone movie “Samaritan” is going on a two-week hiatus, suspending production that was underway in Atlanta.
March 14
–The Metrograph in New York has temporarily suspended all screenings at the 7 Ludlow Street location. The Commissary, however, serving food and drinks, will remain open following safe social-distancing guidelines. –Marvel Studios has pushed pause on production for all of its Disney+ series, which includes “Loki” and “WandaVision” in addition to the previously announced shutdown of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” –Brooklyn’s BAM cinemas have closed amid the outbreak. Per a Twitter announcement, “we have decided to close our cinemas effective immediately; we thank you for your support and understanding. All tickets already purchased for showtimes during this closure can be used for a different screening when we reopen.”
–France has shut down all movie theaters and other non-essential public spaces including stores and restaurants to contain the outbreak. Meanwhile, the Cannes Film Festival said it’s waiting until April 15 to make its decision about calling off the fest. –Warner Bros. has halted production on “The Batman” for two weeks. The shoot on the upcoming tentpole directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson was taking place in the United Kingdom. -The Razzie Awards, originally set to take place in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 14, have been halted amid the outbreak as LA shuts down city-owned venues accommodating 50 or more people. –Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox will close for a one-month period until Tuesday, April 14, to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. All canceled events will be refunded and will be refunding to credit cards automatically. The closure begins at 5 p.m. on March 14. -Under city orders, San Francisco movie theaters are beginning to shut their doors, and that includes the Balboa, Vogue, and Roxie theaters, which stopped screenings on Friday, March 13. Public gatherings are limited to 100 people max. -According to a report out of Switzerland, Marco Solari, the president of the Locarno Film Festival, has tested positive for COVID-19. He has reportedly been in the regional hospital La Carità in Locarno since Tuesday –Universal has halted filming on “Jurassic World: Dominion” due to coronavirus concerns. Universal also suspended production on the forthcoming boxing biopic “Flint Strong,” starring Ice Cube and Ryan Destiny, and delayed the start on Billy Eichner’s rom-com “Bros.” –Apple has closed all retail locations outside of China until March 27, with CEO Tim Cook pledging $15 million toward relief to combat the spreading virus.
March 13
–“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and “Real Time With Bill Maher” are going on indefinite hiatuses. Oliver’s shortened March 15 show is still expected to air as scheduled. –The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is temporarily closing, effective Saturday, March 14. A reopening date has not been set but the museum’s public outdoor sculptures and Hancock Park will remain open. –The Portland Art Museum and Northwest Film Center will be temporarily closed, effective Saturday, March 14. The closure is currently expected to extend through March 31, reopening April 1. –IFC Center in New York will close temporarily at the end of the business day on Friday, March 13, with all programming suspended at that time. The theater plans to reopen beginning Wednesday, April 1. Ticketholders for upcoming shows will be refunded. “Given the science-supported recommendations from federal, state, and city authorities to reduce all nonessential social contact, including large gatherings, in hopes of slowing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, we realized that closing the theater now was the best action we could take for the well-being of our community,” said John Vanco, GM and SVP of IFC Center.
-The 63rd-annual San Francisco International Film Festival has cancelled this year’s edition, which was set to run April 8 through 21. The festival press conference slated for March 18 has also been cancelled. “We are proud of the festival program we have assembled, and we are still planning to publish the lineup on March 18 for the public to see what we have been working on for the past several months,” the festival said in a statement. The decision came after SFFILM’s board of directors held an emergency meeting, resulting in a unanimous vote to cancel the event. This was also the last year for Rachel Rosen as Director of Programming, but SFFILM hopes to give her a proper send-off in a to-be-announced form. -The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) in New York, which regularly hosts screenings and film programming, will shut its doors indefinitely as of March 16 through March 29. –HBO has halted production on Season 2 of the comedy series “The Righteous Gemstones,” and delayed the start of production for Season 2 of “Euphoria.” TNT’s “Snowpiercer” has also put production on hold. -The 2020 Ambulante Documentary Film Festival, traveling throughout Mexico in eight states at more than 130 locations from March 19 through May 28, has been postponed until further notice. –All Apple TV+ series in production have been temporarily suspended, sources told IndieWire. The affected projects, which are all produced by outside studios, include “See,” “Servant,” “For All Mankind,” “Lisey’s Story,” and “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet.” Production on “The Morning Show,” the streaming service’s launch tentpole, was suspended earlier in the week. –FX has shut down production on the series “Atlanta” (entering its third season), “Fargo” (coming up on its fourth installment), “Snowfall” (on season four) and new comic-book series “Y.” Production is currently suspended for at least two weeks. -In light of an announcement from the governor of New Jersey further restricting public gatherings, the Garden State Film Festival, which was set to take place in Ashbury Park from March 25 through 29, will be presented virtually through streaming. Physical festival events such as industry activities, workshops, and panels have been canceled. -Los Angeles’ Film Independent has made the decision to pause regular programming for the remainder of march. Offices will also be closed to the public, and screening and casting rooms will not be available for rental. -ABC has announced that “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and the daytime soap opera “General Hospital” will suspend production starting Monday, May 16. ABC anticipates putting “Kimmel” back on the air March 30, and “General Hospital” hopes to resume production on April 10. -The Toronto documentary film festival Hot Docs will postpone this year’s event, which was set to take place April 30-May 10. This follows Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer having called for the immediate suspension of gatherings with more than 250 people and also having learned that companies are placing restrictions on their employees’ attendance at large events.
–SAG-AFTRA has told its members not to report to work on any shows currently filming in China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea, all of which are subject to CDC Level 3 Travel Health Notices. -Following directives issued by the Governor and King County, Seattle’s SIFF is suspending all screenings and events at its three cinemas — SIFF Cinema Egyptian, SIFF Cinema Uptown, and SIFF Film Center — from March 13 until conditions improve sufficiently. –Netflix is stopping production on all scripted TV series and films in the U.S. and Canada for at least two weeks, sourced confirmed to IndieWire. The company is scheduled to spend reportedly $17.3 billion on original content in 2020. –The 71st Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards and the 41st Annual Sports Emmy Awards have been postponed. The former was set for April 19 and the latter was scheduled for April 28. Other National Television Academy of Arts and Sciences events are still on schedule. –Production on “Young Sheldon,” “Batwoman,” “The Bachelorette,” and “God Friended Me” has been suspended, according to Deadline. –The Museum of the Moving Image is cancelling all of its public programming this weekend, including screenings and tours. Museum galleries will continue to be open Friday. –CBS All Access is delaying the Monday’s premiere of “Tooning Out the News.” The animated daily shows new from executive producer Stephen Colbert will also postpone production. -American Cinematheque has announced screenings and events at the Egyptian and Aero theaters in Los Angeles will be suspended until further notice. The organization said in a statement: “Our top priority is the safety of our patrons, members, staff and volunteers, and we will continue to monitor this health crisis, particularly as it impacts the film exhibition industry and the city of Los Angeles.” –Disney TV Studios has shut down production on “Genius: Aretha,” the third season of the anthology series and here starring Cynthia Erivo, and postponed filming on all pilots. -AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas are the first major movie theater chains in the United States to step up to announce a new policy related to the coronavirus outbreak. As announced on Friday, AMC Theatres will reduce capacity in their auditoriums by at least 50% as of this Saturday, March 14, and continuing through April 30 of this year. –SFMOMA in San Francisco has closed its museum, stores and restaurants, from March 14–28, 2020, and postponed and cancelled all events, tours, and programs during this time. –Vilnius IFF, running March 19–April 2 in Lithuania, is moving most of its program online as movie houses shutter in the country through March 27. -Beginning March 14, the Getty Center and Getty Villa in the Los Angeles area will be closed until further notice. This effects all Getty campuses, including the museum and the gardens.
-The Chicago Critics Film Festival (scheduled for May 1 through 7 at Music Box Theatre) is postponed until further notice. –Disney is shutting down production on “The Little Mermaid,” “Home Alone,” “Peter Pan & Wendy,” “Nightmare Alley,” and “Shrunk,” the upcoming sequel to “Honey I Shrunk the Kids.” A studio spokesperson says: “While there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our productions, after considering the current environment and the best interests of our cast and crew, we have made the decision to pause production on some of our live-action films for a short time. We will continue to assess the situation and restart as soon as feasible.” –Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel” is being put on an indefinite hiatus after postponing filming scheduled for Ireland. “The Last Duel” stars Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, Adam Driver, and Ben Affleck. The movie is a 20th Century Studios production under Disney. –Sony is suspending production on “The Nightingale,” starring Dakota and Elle Fanning, and “The Wheel of Time” fantasy series, starring Rosamund Pike. Variety first reported the news. Both productions are filming in Europe. -The CW is shutting down production on superhero series “The Flash” “until further notice,” Deadline reports. Production on the series will stop today, March 13. “The Flash” is the second series to shut down production for The CW following “Riverdale.” -The 2020 Canada Film Festival is being postponed. Bern Euler, Canadian Film Fest Executive Director, said in a statement, “It’s with a heavy heart that I’m announcing the upcoming CFF is postponed. But it’s with a hopeful heart that all of us at the Canadian Film Fest wish to be a part of the solution by doing our small part to help stem the tide of COVID-19. We are following the advice of our experts, and that means presenting the CFF at a later date. It hurts but we all need to do our part. We’re working with our theatre partner to figure out the best dates so that we can all celebrate the fantastic films of our incredibly talented filmmakers in a safe environment and as soon as that’s figured out, we’ll let everyone know.” -In Los Angeles, the MOCA Grand Avenue galleries and Warehouse at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA have both been closed to the public temporarily and indefinitely. -The 58th Ann Arbor Film Festival is being suspended. The festival says: “Due to growing health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus, all in-person events for the 58th Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF) have been suspended. The six-day event was set to happen March 24-March 29, 2020. AAFF is committed to finding an alternative means to present the 58th AAFF online which honors the filmmakers’ rights and integrity and fulfills the mission of the festival. The 58th AAFF jurors will fulfill their commitment of reviewing programmed films in competition in order to confer the $22,500 in awards. When the circumstances allow, AAFF will continue to create live viewing experiences for our community.”
-Augusta National Golf Club has announced the 2020 Masters Tournament is being postponed. The golf event was scheduled to take place April 9 –12. The club said in a statement:”On Wednesday, March 4, we issued a memo stating that our plans to host the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals had not changed. Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.” The Players tournament has also been canceled. -The 39th Istanbul Film Festival is being postponed. The festival said in a statement: “In line with the measures taken in Turkey to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which is described as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, the 39th Istanbul Film Festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and scheduled to take place on 10-21 April, is postponed to a later date. New dates will be announced in the coming days.” -The 2020 RiverRun International Film Festival is canceled. The festival said in a statement: “RiverRun International Film Festival is committed to the health and safety of our attendees, volunteers, staff, and community. The widespread health concern about COVID-19 is a reminder of the global nature of our daily lives and interactions. Given the latest news and the request to not convene groups over 100, we must announce the cancellation of the 2020 RiverRun International Film Festival. While we will greatly miss seeing everyone come together to celebrate the diverse global stories reflected in our films, we place a greater priority on the wellbeing of our constituents.” -The 42nd edition of France’s Cinéma du Réel has been canceled, but competition titles will stream online for accredited press and guests. –Premiere League, the top soccer competition in England, is being suspended until April 3. The organization’s chief executive Richard Masters said in a statement, “In this unprecedented situation, we are working closely with our clubs, government, The FA and EFL and can reassure everyone the health and welfare of players, staff and supporters are our priority. Above all, we wish Mikel Arteta and Callum Hudson-Odoi speedy recoveries, and everyone else affected by Covid-19.” European soccer organization UEFA is also calling off games scheduled for this month in the Champions League and Europa League. –NBCUniversal has suspended production on nearly all of television series. Deadline reports 35 series are on the list of shut downs, including the “Chicago” franchise, “Law and Order: SVU,” “News Amsterdam,” and “FBI.” Other shows being suspended include Kelly Clarkson’s talk show and the Emmy Rossum-starring “Angelyne,” which is filming for NBC’s upcoming streaming platform Peacock. NBCUniversal said in a statement: “The safety and health of our cast, crew and employees is our top priority. Where possible, we are pausing production for two weeks as a precautionary measure, following which we will reassess and determine an appropriate start date. In some cases, we are accelerating plans to wrap up physical production.”
–NewFilmmakers Los Angeles is canceling its events scheduled for March and April. The organization said in a statement: “Due to the public health concerns posed by COVID-19 (Coronavirus), it is with a heavy heart that we have made the difficult decision to cancel the upcoming NFMLA events taking place on 3/14/20 and 4/4/20. We appreciate your support of NFMLA and filmmakers, and apologize for any inconvenience as we explore the best course of action for all involved. We will be in touch with further information when it becomes available (due to the rapidly evolving nature of events, we do not currently have an estimate of when that will be).” – Marvel Studios’ ‘Shang-Chi’ temporarily shuts down production, except for second-unit shoots, in Australia where the movie has been filming since February. According to Variety, its director, “Short Term 12” and “Just Mercy” helmer Destin Daniel Cretton has self-isolated and awaits COVID-19 test results, though he has not been experiencing symptoms. It is unclear if the production suspension will jeopardize the film’s scheduled February 2021 release.
March 12
–Production on Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie” has been suspended. Deadline reported that no return date for the Jane Fonda-led series has been set. -The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is temporarily closing its museum, MoMA PS1, and the MoMA Design Stores in New York City, starting March 13. The locations will be closed through March 30. –ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” has shut down production of season 16, effective immediately. The series will take a two week break then reassess the situation from there. “This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the whole cast and crew and the safety of our loved ones outside of work, and it was made in accordance with Mayor Garcetti’s suggestion that we not gather in groups of more than 50,” said executive producers Krista Vernoff and Debbie Allen, as well as line producer James Williams in a prepared statement. -The Walt Disney Company will close their California theme parks beginning March 14 through the end of the month. That includes Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Disneyland hotels will shut down March 16 to allow existing guests to find new accommodations. Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Paris Resort will be closed on March 16, through the end of the month. The Disney Cruise Line will also suspend new departures beginning March 14, through the end of the month. -The New York-based “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” and “The Wendy Williams Show” are suspending production. All three programs previously announced that they would film without studio audiences. Deadline reported that Fallon’s show will tape an episode tonight, though Meyers’ will air an encore episode instead of taping a new episode.
–Discovery has cancelled its Upfront presentation schedule for May, following in the footsteps of most major networks that have already cancelled their planned upfront events. –Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in California will close beginning Saturday, March 14, following the closure of Disney’s California theme parks. Universal said that the park anticipates reopening on March 28 as the situation unfolds. –The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, originally set for April 1 through 5, has been postponed to a yet-to-be-determined date. –The St Patrick’s Film Festival London, which was scheduled to take place in London from March 13 through 15, has been postponed. The festival is currently working on making its titles available for audiences to stream. –The 22nd Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as “Ebertfest,” has been cancelled and rescheduled for April 14-17, 2021.The Chicago festival was originally slated to run April 15-18 in Champaign, Illinois. –Walt Disney Pictures has delayed the release date for “Mulan” due to coronavirus concerns. Niki Caro’s film, which already saw the cancellation of its European red carpet over the virus, was slated for a March 27 release in the United States, with release dates globally beginning March 26. Disney has not set plans for a future release date. –20th Century Studios has moved “New Mutants” (originally set for April 3) and Searchlight’s “Antlers” (which was set for April 17). No new release dates have been announced. –IFC Films has pushed the release date of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “The Truth,” originally set for March 20, to summer 2020. –The Anthology Film Archives has suspended all of its March screenings, effective immediately. The center says it aims to postpone, not cancel, its upcoming March programs. Individuals who have bought advance tickets for March screenings can reach out to the center to exchange them for tickets for any screening taking place after the center reopens. –The CW and Fox have cancelled their live Upfront presentations that were scheduled for May. Most other major networks have already cancelled their Upfront events. –Rooftop Films is postponing all of its March screenings, including its free presentation of “Queen & Slim” at Industry City that was scheduled for March 19. Rooftop Films said it hopes to reschedule the screenings as soon as possible. -The TV Academy announced that For Your Consideration events will not happen live, in front of an audience, instead opting to livestream and/or record panels for digital viewing. -Strand Releasing is postponing the U.S. release of “The Artist’s Wife,” starring Bruce Dern and Lena Olin. The distributor said in a statement: “The film was originally scheduled to be released in New York on April 3rd at the Angelika Film Center and Landmark 57, in Los Angeles on April 10th at Laemmle’s Royal, Playhouse, and Town Centre theaters and in San Francisco on April 17th at Landmark’s Embarcadero and East Bay theaters.”
-NCAA’s March Madness tournament is canceled. The organization said in a statement: “Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.” -New York City’s Film Forum is limiting seating capacity. The theater has announced that “sarting Friday, March 13, Film Forum will limit capacity in our theaters to 50% in compliance with New York State’s COVID-19 public gathering mandate.” –WarnerMedia and Xandr have canceled Upfront presentations for their networks, which include CNN, TBS, and TNT. The campnies said in a statement: “The health and safety of the advertising community, our employees and production partners is our absolute priority, so we will alter our plans for this year’s Upfront presentation. We have the technological and creative means to showcase our unified WarnerMedia/Xandr message through a unique video experience and will do just that on May 13.” -Los Angeles’ City Theater Group has announced the cancellation of several productions: “To comply with the overnight directive of the California Department of Public Health and a mandate from the County of Los Angeles, we are immediately canceling all performances of The Book of Mormon, The Antipodes, and Block Party at the Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and Kirk Douglas Theatre to help lessen the spread of the virus. It is imperative that we act on the advice of government officials, public health authorities, and medical professionals.” -Per a statement from the Luxembourg City Film Festival: “Following the recommendations and restrictions annoncé by the Government Council today, the organizers of the Luxembourg City Film Festival have decided to cancel the 10th edition of the Luxembourg City Film Festival as of tomorrow morning. The film shows and events planned for Friday, March 13, Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15 are therefore canceled.” -The Sun Valley Film Festival is the second festival today to cancel their upcoming event. The festival was set to run Wednesday through Sunday. “We are actively supporting the global and local effort to combat this pandemic by cancelling this year’s Festival. The health and safety of our community and all of our participants is our top priority and we know this is the right and responsible decision,” says Sun Valley Film Festival executive Teddy Grennan in a prepared statement. -In a prepared statement by Lisa Thomas at Film Society of Lincoln Center, “The 49th New Directors/New Films will be postponed and the 46th Chaplin Award Gala honoring Spike Lee will be rescheduled for later this fall. Additional information regarding new dates for both events will be communicated in the coming weeks.”
-The MLB announced via their official Twitter that they are delaying opening day by at least two weeks and the rest of spring training has been cancelled. “This action is being taken in the interests of safety and well-being of our players, our Clubs, and our millions of loyal fans…MLB and the Clubs have been preparing a variety of contingency plans regarding the 2020 regular season schedule. MLB will announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.” -Mediapro has announced production on “Official Competition” has been suspended in Spain. The drama stars Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz. “It is hoped that production will be renewed as soon as it is possible to guarantee the safety of crew members,” a Mediapro statement reads. -Fan convention WonderCon has been canceled. The even is organized by Comic-Con International and was scheduled to take place April 10–12 in Anaheim, California. The decision to cancel WonderCon was made after California Governor Gavin Newsom’s directive encouraging gatherings of 250 people or more to be postponed or canceled. Plans for 2020 Comic Con this summer remain intact. –Broadway shows are being suspended as of 5pm ET on March 12. The decision was made as a result of N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo restricting gatherings with more than 500 people. That rule applies to everything except schools, hospitals, and mass transit. Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Met have also closed. -The 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Induction Week festivities are being postponed until later this year. The annual event was set to air live on HBO. The new date for the induction ceremony will be revealed at a later date. –ViacomCBS has canceled its Upfront presentation in New York City and will instead put together a package that will be released on digital platforms. The company said in a statement: “We’ll miss Carnegie Hall and our agency dinners this year, but the health and safety of our clients and the ViacomCBS team comes first. Our team has been planning for this possibility for weeks, and we have devised a digital showcase to unveil all of the premium content that we’re delivering throughout the company, from CBS Television Network and our robust cable portfolio across the Entertainment & Youth and Premium brands. We won’t miss a beat in engaging with clients around our unmatched offerings and solutions.” NBC has also axed their Upfront presentations. -Apple is putting production of “The Morning Show” Season 2 on hiatus. Apple made the decision along with the studio behind the series Media Res, which said in a statement: “In concert with our dedicated partners at Apple, we have concluded it would be prudent to take a two-week hiatus to assess the situation and ensure the safety of the incredible people who make this show.”
-The National Hockey League (NHL) is following the NBA’s plan and suspending the current sports season definitely. Games for the 2019-20 season are being put on hold starting with March 12 evening games. -The New York International Children’s Film Festival has issued a statement saying “it will be ending its month-long Oscar-qualifying Festival ahead of the final weekend. At the advice of public health experts on COVID-19 best practices and in keeping our community’s health the utmost priority, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all events and screenings for NYICFF’s final weekend, March 14th and 15th.” -The Miami Film Festival is being canceled in the middle of the event. This year’s festival began last Friday and was scheduled to run until Sunday, but fest director tells THR, “Under the advice of Governor Ron DeSantis, Miami Dade College is cancelling all special events including the remaining public screenings of the Miami Film festival.” –Metropolitan Museum of Art is closing its three locations in New York City as of Friday, March 13: The flagship Met museum, the Met Breuer, and the Met Cloisters. The Met said its closing its locations “to support New York City’s effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.” Met president Daniel Weiss told The New York Times, “The Met’s priority is to protect and support our staff, volunteers, and visitors. While we don’t have any confirmed cases connected to the museum, we believe that we must do all that we can to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our community, which at this time calls for us to minimize gatherings while maintaining the cleanest environment possible.” –Paramount Pictures is delaying the release of comedy “The Lovebirds,” starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae. The movie was scheduled to hit theaters April 3. The announcement follows the studio’s delay of “A Quiet Place Part II.” Paramount has not assigned either delayed film a new release date. –Universal Studios is pushing the ninth “Fast and Furious” movie off its May release date and rescheduling it for almost a year later. “F9” was set to open May, 22 but will now open April 2, 2021. -The 2020 Montclair Film Festival is being postponed. Montclair Film has developed a production plan to launch the 2020 Festival program once public health and other officials advise that the public may safely attend public events. The organization remains fully engaged in the planning of the 2020 Festival, with films, venues, the annual Film Guide, and a full schedule of special events being readied for launch. For the safety of patrons and students, all events and classes scheduled for March and April will be rescheduled for a future date once public health officials determine it is prudent to proceed. “With the unanimous support of our Executive Committee, Board, and staff, we are postponing the 2020 Montclair Film Festival because we are committed to the health and safety of our community, and we support and are grateful to our public health partners as they work to contain and fight COVID-19,” said Montclair Film Executive Director Tom Hall. “We look forward to hosting the 2020 Montclair Film Festival at a time when we can fully engage in the celebration of cinema, community, and conversation with all of our patrons, artists, volunteers, and sponsors feeling safe and welcome.”
–Universal Television is delaying the productions of three projects: “Little America” Season 2 for Apple TV+, “Russian Doll” Season 2 for Netflix, and “Rutherford Falls” for Peacock. Deadline reports none of the television series were in the filming stage at the time of the decision and none of them had delivery dates assigned by their respective networks. The writing and casting processes for each series will continue at the moment. -The 2020 Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards is being postponed amid the global coronavirus outbreak. The network said in a statement, “The Kids’ Choice Awards scheduled for March 22, 2020, in Los Angeles is being postponed in consideration of the safety and well-being of every person involved with the show, which is our top priority. We will have further information about a new date in the future. -Hollywood’s TCM Classic Film Festival has been canceled because of coronavirus concerns. The 2020 edition of the TCM festival was scheduled to take place April 16-19. Organizers of the event said in a statement, “After talking to our festival partners, as well as the actors, directors and writers who had committed to attending, we didn’t feel we could ask all of you — in good conscience — to come to Los Angeles for the festival. We assure our fans that we will begin planning the next TCM Classic Film Festival soon and will endeavor to make 2021 edition the best Festival yet.” –Disney has cancelled the red carpet for the “Mulan” European premiere in London. The studio said there would be no red carpet “in an abundance of caution” over the spread of coronavirus. Disney said in a statement: “In an abundance of caution we are downscaling this evening’s premiere of ‘Mulan’ and will no longer have a media line or red carpet, we will however continue to host the premiere screening as a contained inside screening event.” -Deadline reports Paramount Pictures is delaying the international rollout of “A Quiet Place Part II.” UK exhibitors have been notified at the film is moving dates. The movie was scheduled to open in the UK on March 18 before its U.S. opening on March 20. -BBC One series “Celebrity Race Across The World” has postponed production on its upcoming season. Filming was set to begin in April. The show is produced by All3Media-backed producer Studio Lambert, which also handles “Undercover Boss.”
March 11
–CinemaCon 2020 has been canceled. Read IndieWire’s full story on the loss of CinemaCon here. -The NBA has suspended the 2019-20 basketball season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus. “The NBA announced that a player on the Utah Jazz has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19. The test result was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of tonight’s game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. At that time, tonight’s game was canceled. The affected player was not in the arena,” the league said in a statement. “The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice. The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
The league’s decision will go into effect after tonight’s games, according to the Los Angeles Times. The publication noted tonight’s Oklahoma City game between the Thunder and Jazz was cancelled seconds before tipoff. CBS News reported that Jazz center Rudy Gobert had reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus. Medical staff reportedly rushed the court of the Jazz-Thunder game to discuss the situation with officials, and the two basketball teams exited the court shortly after. The audience was notified of the game’s cancellation around 30 minutes later. It is unclear if or when the 2019-20 NBA season will resume. –“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” will shoot without a studio audience. The show had already wrapped filming through Friday’s episodes and the change will go into effect on Monday, March 16. “The View,” “Live With Kelly And Ryan,” and “Tamron Hall” are also filming without live audiences. -Hulu has cancelled its “Little Fires Everywhere” premiere due to coronavirus concerns. The premiere of the series, which stars and is executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, was scheduled for March 12. Hulu notified attendees via email, according to Deadline. –PaleyFest LA 2020 will not take place as planned this weekend. The festival, set to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 13-22, was set to feature screenings and interviews with castmembers from various television series including “Modern Family,” “The Mandalorian,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Dolly Parton, the cast of “Modern Family,” and Patrick Stewart were just some of the names scheduled to attend for special panels and post-screening Q&As. In a prepared statement the Paley Center for Media said, ““As you are aware, the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to remain of the utmost public concern. For several weeks now, the Paley Center, along with our venue host, The Dolby Theatre, has monitored the situation closely, staying in daily contact with local, state, and federal partners, as well as following the recommendations issued by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and following the guidelines of the local health department. Based on the most recent news and out of an abundance of concern, we have made the difficult decision to postpone this year’s PaleyFest. While we were looking forward to presenting another stellar lineup of PaleyFest events, the safety of our event participants, guests, and staff is the highest priority. We are exploring options to reschedule the festival and all ticket purchases will be honored for the new dates.” It is currently unknown when those new dates will be but those with tickets can email the Paley Center for refunds. -Production on “Riverdale” has been shut down. The publication reported a team member working on the show came into contact with an individual who tested positive for the coronavirus. Warner Bros. sent out a prepared statement which reads, “We have been made aware that a team member from ‘Riverdale,’ which is produced in Vancouver, was recently in contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. The team member is currently receiving medical evaluation. We are working closely with the appropriate authorities and health agencies in Vancouver to identify and contact all individuals who may have come into direct contact with our team member. The health and safety of our employees, casts and crews is always our top priority. We have and will continue to take precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world. Out of an abundance of caution, production on ‘Riverdale’ is currently suspended.”
-The 2020 NAB Show is not moving forward in April. The event sent the following statement: “In the interest of addressing the health and safety concerns of our stakeholders and in consultation with partners throughout the media and entertainment industry, we have decided not to move forward with NAB Show in April. We are currently considering a number of potential alternatives to create the best possible experience for our community…We are still weighing the best potential path forward, and we ask you for your patience as we do so. We are committed to exploring all possible alternatives so that we can provide a productive setting where the industry can engage with the latest technology, hear from industry thought leaders and make the game-changing connections that drive our industry forward.” -Staring March 16, “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” and “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” will tape without live audiences. Wednesday’s episode of “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” will tape without a studio audience and the March 15 episode of “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” will also not feature a studio audience. Deadline reported that the decision was made jointly among the aforementioned shows, all of which are based in New York. The Los Angeles-based late-night shows are expected to proceed normally, as will the New York-based “Saturday Night Live.” TBS told Deadline that this week’s “Conan” episodes were pre-taped and host Conan O’Brien is already on a scheduled hiatus for the next two weeks. -Production on “Survivor” Season 41 has been postponed until at least May, according to Entertainment Weekly. The disruption is also expected to delay production on Season 42, which was scheduled to begin filming on May 24. -Twitter and YouTube have cancelled their live advertiser-focused NewFronts events and will instead host streaming events. The Wednesday announcements came several hours after the IAB recommended that future presentations should be streaming-only due to the coronavirus. -UCLA has cancelled its 44th annual Entertainment Symposium, which was slated for March 20-21. WarnerMedia’s Bob Greenblatt was scheduled as the event’s keynote speaker and would’ve discussed his company’s upcoming HBO Max streaming service. The cancellation announcement came less than a day after UCLA cancelled in-person classes -HBO is postponing the all-star live benefit “Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites For Autism Programs” to a later date. The event was to be hosted by Jon Stewart and presented by HBO in partnership with NEXT for AUTISM. The show was scheduled to take place Saturday, April 18 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. -The 2020 Beverly Hills Film Festival is being postponed. The festival said in a statement: “Thorough conversations and meetings with World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) representatives, along with conversations with local city officials brought the executive directorial team at the Beverly Hills Film Festival to the final and difficult decision of postponement of the event. Our guests’ and local residents’ safety and wellness are our priority. Due to the fact that the Beverly Hills Film Festival will bring together thousands of attendees locally and globally, it is our ethical and moral responsibility to not participate in the possible outbreak of COVID-19. Though this is a great loss for the Beverly Hills Film Festival, we will do everything in our power to diligently serve our dear 2020 filmmaker and screenwriter official selections. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we face ongoing changes in making further decisions.” This year’s festival was supposed to run April 1-5. It is being postponed indefinitely.
-The 2020 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival has been cancelled. Per organizers: “Full Frame is a program of Duke University. In light of COVID-19, Duke has cancelled any in-person event with expected attendance of more than 50 people taking place between now and April 20. These restrictions include Full Frame 2020.” The event was scheduled to run April 2-5. -The Electronic Entertainment Expo, more commonly referred to as E3, has been canceled. The expo is Los Angeles’ annual video game convention. Event organizer Entertainment Software Association said in a statement,“After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry…we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020.” The 2020 E3 event was scheduled to take place between June 9-11. -Series Mania has been canceled. France’s television festival, one of the biggest in Europe, falls under the government’s current ban on public events with more than 1,000 attendees. As Series Mania president Rodolphe Belmer said in a statement, “Series Mania attracts 80,000 festival attendees and 3,000 industry professionals every year. Given the French government’s ban of meetings of over 1,000 people and numerous restrictions on the travel of French and international delegates, we’ve decided to cancel the event,” Series Mania president Rodolphe Belmer announced Wednesday.”
Cancellations announced March 5-March 11
-The 2020 Seattle Jewish Film Festival will not be held on its originally scheduled dates of March 19 to April 5. Organizers are postponing SJFF for the time being and are exploring options for a summer or early fall alternative. -Disney has halted production on “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” according to Deadline. The high-profile series, which stars Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan and marks Disney+’s first Marvel Cinematic Universe project, began brief shoots in Prague in early March, but the studio decided to shut down production and recall staff to Atlanta. The Prague government has closed schools and placed various restrictions on events and travel. The show’s Prague shoot was reportedly expected to be completed in around one week. It is unclear if the disruption will impact the series’ August release window. A source close to production confirmed Deadline’s report to IndieWire. Production on “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” was previously halted in January during its Puerto Rico shoots due to a major earthquake. -Avid has decided to cancel its participation in trade conferences and all global face-to-face events for the next two months, including NAB Show 2020. Avid has also cancelled its Avid Connect 2020 conference in Las Vegas that was planned for mid-April and will instead offer an online broadcast that will feature new Avid products that would’ve been shown at the aforementioned events. Avid will also plan on hosting regional Connect events in several locations worldwide when it has been convinced that public safety has been assured.
“While these were difficult decisions for Avid, and for me personally, we feel strongly that helping stop the spread and severity of the COVID-19 virus is not just the job of governments and healthcare providers, but the responsibility of every individual, organization and corporation around the globe,” Jeff Rosica, CEO and President at Avid, said in a statement. “We will take this opportunity to try new methods and experiment with different approaches to better engage with our clients, users and the community around the globe. Avid remains supportive of the NAB Show and looks forward to next year’s event.” – HBO is canceling the New York City premiere for the documentary “After Truth: Disinformation And The Cost Of Fake News.” -New York University is moving to remote instruction beginning Wednesday, March 11. All classes will meet remotely at their regularly scheduled times. The edict impacts the film school, which counts Spike Lee among its faculty and hosts hundreds of student projects -Sony has pushed “Peter Rabbit 2” five months, moving the family comedy off its April 3 release date. The movie will now open in the U.S. on August 7. –Quibi has canceled its red carpet launch scheduled for April 5 out of an “abundance of caution” for COVID-19. The massive launch, set to take place in Culver City, hadn’t announced who was set to attend but various Quibi series boast A-list names, such as Liam Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, and Chance the Rapper. “Supporting the health and well-being of everyone involved is our top priority,” said an unnamed Quibi spokesperson to Variety announcing the cancellation. The company had an uphill battle before this recent turn of events, with audiences wondering how the series’ model of shows broken up into segments would work. Quibi recently announced they’ll have 50 series and game shows set to go live at launch, still set for April 6. People on the fence about the service can also engage in a 90-day free trial of the service. – “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy” have announced they will film episodes without a live studio audience indefinitely due to the virus. Both shows, which film at the Sony Studios, are scheduled to film throughout mid-April though it’s unclear if audiences will be allowed in anytime before that. The need for caution is especially important in “Jeopardy’s” case since host Alex Trebek is currently battling stage four pancreatic cancer. The network also emphasized that the makeup of their live-studio audience tends to be older and many fly in from unknown locales, all of which can up the risk of attracting COVID-19. –AMC Networks has canceled its upfront presentation, which was slated for March 18 in New York. -The Environmental Film Festival in Washington, DC, is canceling all events scheduled for March 12-22. In lieu, a “virtual” festival will be launched in March to allow for select 2020 films to be viewed online. A smaller version of the EFF is planned for the fall.
– A+E Networks has canceled its Upfront live presentation scheduled for March 25. The network says it is planning to schedule “virtual” presentations to media-buying agencies and clients over the course of the week of March 23. -The Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival, currently under way in San Jose, CA, has rescheduled its second week to August 16 through 30. Events slated for Monday, March 9 through Sunday, March 15 will no longer take place. -The American Film Institute has postponed its 48th annual AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Julie Andrews. The event was originally slated for April 25 and will be rescheduled for a date in early summer. “AFI’s decision to postpone the event is simply in response to the rapidly evolving nature of current events and our promise to ensure the well-being of the artists and audience that gather each year to celebrate America’s art form,” said AFI CEO and President, Bob Gazzale. “This move will allow our full attention to focus on the many gifts that Julie Andrews has given the world.” – Director Michael Showalter and stars Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae will not attend the SXSW Film Festival to promote their romantic comedy “The Lovebirds.” The movie will still hold its world premiere Saturday, March 14 at the Paramount Theatre. – A24 confirms with IndieWire that “Boys State” will not be screening at the upcoming SXSW Film Festival. The Sundance documentary is being co-distributed by A24 and Apple, the latter of which pulled all of its screenings and events from SXSW earlier this week. – The Bentonville Film Festival is being postponed until late summer because of the coronavirus. The 2020 festival was scheduled to run April 29-May 2, but it will now take place August 5-8. Said festival co-founder Geena Davis in a statement, “This decision comes after careful consideration and consultation with our partners. Our number one concern is the safety of our content creators and our community of attendees. We are grateful for the support and recommendations we’ve received and look forward to welcoming everyone to the 6th edition of BFF this August.” – MipTV, the international television conference and market held each spring in Cannes, has canceled its 2020 edition because of coronavirus fears. This year’s event was scheduled to take place March 30-April 2. All events scheduled for MipTV 2020 have been canceled, including Mip Formats, Mip Doc, and Canneseries. The next MipTV will not happen until April 2021, but Canneseries is being moved to take place in October alongside Mipcom.
– MGM, Universal, and Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have pushed back the release of “No Time to Die” until November 12 in the U.K. and November 25 in the U.S. The movie was originally scheduled to open April 8. Prior to the film’s release delay, Universal had canceled the film’s China premiere. – Paramount has put the China release of its family blockbuster “Sonic the Hedgehog” on hold in China indefinitely because of the coronavirus. Other film releases that have been delayed or canceled in China include Universal’s “1917,” Searchlight’s “Jojo Rabbit,” and Universal’s “Dolittle.” – Paramount Pictures shut down production February 26 on the next “Mission: Impossible” movie, which was filming in Venice, Italy at the time. The crew had been planning a three-week shoot in Venice. A Paramount spokesperson issued the following statement: “Out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew, and efforts of the local Venetian government to halt public gatherings in response to the threat of coronavirus, we are altering the production plan for our three-week shoot in Venice, the scheduled first leg of an extensive production for ‘Mission: Impossible 7.’ During this hiatus we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts. We will continue to monitor this situation, and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves.” – Production on Season 33 of CBS’ “The Amazing Race” has been put on hold indefinitely because of the coronavirus. Only three episodes of the season had been filmed by the time the series went on hold. CBS said in a statement: “Due to increased concerns and uncertainty regarding the coronavirus around the world, CBS and the producers of ‘The Amazing Race’ have taken the precautionary measure of temporarily suspending production on the 33rd season of the series. All contestants and production staff are in the process of returning home.” – Filmmaker Jia Zhangke exclusively told IndieWire he was delaying the production of his next movie indefinitely. The project was set to begin filming in April. “We still can’t really do all the pre-production necessary for us to have this happen in April,” Jia said. The filmmaker described the project as focused on “young people in China and the here-and-now” with a story set in the spring and summer, which meant that they would not be able to shoot until next year at the earliest. He added, “Maybe we’ll write a new script.” AP/REX/Shutterstock
– Wong Kar-wai has put production of his next feature, “Blossoms,” on hold because of the coronavirus. “Blossoms” was going to be filmed on location in Shanghai where the story is set. The feature film is based on Jin Yucheng’s 2013 novel and follows the lives of three Shanghai residents from the end of China’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s through their life in America in the 1990s. The director has teased “Blossoms” will be a spiritual sequel to “In the Mood for Love,” similar to “2049.” – The 2020 Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in Greece has been postponed. The 2020 festival was set to begin March 5 in Greece and run through March 15. Organizers are hopeful the event can be rescheduled and are eying a potential new date sometime in late May or early June. – The inaugural Red Sea Festival in Saudi Arabia has been postponed. The event was set to kick off March 12 in Jeddah. “To all cineastes, it’s with feelings of deep sadness that we have had to take this tough decision,” the fest posted on its official Twitter account. “The spread of coronavirus is a battle we all must face around the globe, and it’s with no hesitation that we are respecting the measures needed to meet the current health emergency.” The festival is planning to add new dates “as soon as feasible.” – The sixth edition of Qumra has been canceled by the Doha Film Institute (DFI). The talent incubator event was scheduled to run March 20-25 with appearances by Claire Denis and James Gray. The DFI said in a statement: “Although this is an extremely important event for our community and participants, the wellbeing of the residents and visitors to Qatar remains our first priority. Due to current global concern regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, with an awareness of our responsibility towards the health and safety of our valued guests and partners and in an effort to reduce travel during this time, the decision has been made to cancel the 2020 edition of Qumra and its related activities.” – Unifrance delegates will not attend the Rendez-Vous With French Cinema in New York City because of health concerns. Unifrance and European Film Promotion will similarly not be attending the Miami Film Market in March. – Disney canceled its two-day European press launch for Disney+ and will instead promote the new streaming platform online. – “The Bachelorette” producers have canceled the upcoming season’s trip to Italy due to coronavirus concerns. Production will have to come up with a different destination for the season’s travel episodes. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
