Robert Pattinson reportedly tests positive for covid-19, halting filming on ‘The Batman’ days after it resumed - Washington Post

Actor Robert Pattinson and the cast and crew of “The Batman” had been outside London filming the superhero film for almost three months when production suddenly halted in March as the novel coronavirus spread through parts of Europe. At the time, the studio said that filming would shut down for just two weeks. Instead, the film didn’t return to set until earlier this week.

Now, days after restarting production, the film has shut down yet again, this time because its star reportedly tested positive for covid-19, Vanity Fair first reported, derailing the studio’s hopes for another global blockbuster.

In a statement Thursday, Warner Bros. did not identify Pattinson, but said that “filming has temporarily paused” because “a member” of the production tested positive and is “isolating in accordance with established protocols.”

Hollywood has been upended by the coronavirus, which has forced studios to find new ways to make films and TV shows. After months on hiatus, casts and crews on various shows have recently returned to work with new rules and guidelines, The Washington Post’s Stephen Zeitchik reported last month. Different parts of production have been siphoned into “pods” and sets have “zones” that dictate where and who can be in certain areas. There are also covid-19 officers who monitor the health of the cast and crew.

With a growing number of cases in California over the summer, some productions moved to other states or went overseas, where cases of the virus are down and regulations have eased. According to The Washington Post covid-19 tracker California has had about 720,000 cases and over 13,300 deaths.

Similar to the NBA’s bubble in Orlando, film crews, casts and even hotel workers where the staff is staying, are tested frequently and are not allowed to interact with other people. “Jurassic World: Dominion,” which was one of the first major films to pick up production, has been filming outside London since early July, the New York Times reported. James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels are filming in New Zealand, and so is Amazon’s “Lord of the Rings” series. (The founder and chief executive of Amazon, Jeff Bazos, also owns The Post.) The fourth installment of “The Matrix” is shooting in Berlin.

Filmmakers and TV writers have also had to rethink locations and plot points, The Post’s Zeitchik reported. Crowd scenes are impossible, love scenes are tricky, filming on location is unlikely, and multiple takes for one scene are too costly.

Films like “The Batman,” which were in the middle of production when covid-19 forced a hiatus, have lost millions of dollars. And films that were supposed to be released in theaters, like many summer blockbusters, have cost studios billions. Many films moved to releases on streaming services or have continually pushed back release dates until it’s safe to go back into movie theaters. Disney’s live action “Mulan,” which was supposed to premiere in March, and then July and August, is available Friday for $29.99 on Disney Plus. (The film is not included with the service’s monthly subscription).

In ‘The Batman,’ Pattinson plays the titular role as a young Bruce Wayne. Directed by Matt Reeves, the film also stars Paul Dano, Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell and Jeffrey Wright. The plot of the film hasn’t been revealed, but Warner Bros. released a teaser trailer in late August.

“Tenet,” another one of Pattinson’s films, has also been a casualty of the virus as Warner Bros. repeatedly pushed back the release date of the much-anticipated Christopher Nolan movie. The film was released on Thursday, one of the first major films to open in theaters again.

The news of Pattinson testing positive for covid-19 comes soon after Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson told fans on Instagram this week that he and his entire family had contracted the virus. Johnson urged his fans to wear a mask and stay cautious even around close friends. Johnson and his family caught the virus from family friends who went to his home for dinner, and have since recovered.

“We are counting our blessings right now because we are well aware that it isn’t always the case you get on the other end of covid-19 stronger and healthier,” he said.

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2020-09-04 08:23:00Z

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