Disney Suspends Production On Numerous Films

 

Concerns about the spread of Coronavirus have escalated swiftly today for Disney. Earlier, it was reported that production of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had temporarily suspended. Now, the studio has announced much of its in-production slate is on hold.

 

 

According to Deadline, Disney is halting production out of an abundance of caution. Work is stopping on a number of films, including Shang-Chi, The Little Mermaid, Home Alone, The Last Duel, Nightmare Alley,Peter Pan & Wendy and Shrunk. Most of these films have release dates targeted for 2021.

 

In a statement, the studio said:

 

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.

 

This comes amid reports that the director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Destin Daniel Cretton, is self-isolating on the advice of a doctor. Shang-Chi has been filming in Australia, where nearly 200 cases of coronavirus have been reported, including actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson.

 

The decision comes alongside an avalanche of suspensions in Hollywood, including major TV productions. Warner Bros suspended Young Sheldon and God Friended Me from CBS, and CW halted a number of series, including Supergirl, Batwoman, Riverdale, The Flash and Lucifer. Last night, all Broadway productions closed their doors as a state of emergency was declared within New York City. Major theater chains like AMC and Regal are cutting back setting capacity dramatically in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.

 

It is unclear when production may restart on any of the film and television enterprises impacted.