The coronavirus pandemic continues to escalate, with the death toll now topping 3,000 and as many as 90,000 confirmed cases of the disease. In addition to the human toll, the spread of coronavirus has blunted global economic activity significantly. The Dow experienced its worst week since the 2008 recession and workers continue to weigh the risks of commuting and public interface.
The entertainment industry has been one of those most impacted by the virus. Hollywood executives have begun to take precautions for the sake of public health, while also forming strategies as to how to minimize economic losses at a time when public gatherings may endanger large numbers of people. Organizers of industry conferences, press tours and film festivals are evaluating options for delaying or canceling upcoming events. Abroad, China and Italy, two countries with the highest numbers of contagion, have temporarily closed movie theaters. Movie premiere dates like “No Time to Die” have been pushed back and production for films and shows including “The Amazing Race” and “Mission: Impossible 7” have been impacted by the crisis.
See a list of cancellations, delays and more below, which will be updated as more are announced.
Movie Premiere Dates:
Paramount delayed the release of “Sonic the Hedgehog” in China, which was set to debut on Feb. 28. Cinemas in China are indefinitely closed due to coronavirus. In a statement announcing the cancellation, the studio said, “Sonic will only be slowing down his pace temporarily, and we look forward to bringing him zooming onto the big screen in China once it is appropriate to do so.”
The next James Bond film, “No Time to Die,” was originally supposed to be released internationally on April 2 and in the U.S. on April 10, but is now being postponed until November. The film will be released in the U.K. on Nov. 12 and in the U.S. on Nov. 25. Other worldwide release dates are still to follow.
The Chinese release date for “Mulan” has been delayed indefinitely. The highly anticipated film is still set to be released on March 27 in the United States.
Production:
CBS temporarily shut down production of “The Amazing Race” Season 33. The unscripted series was only a couple of weeks into production with three episodes filmed thus far. Season 32, the next installment to air, has already been completed, though no premiere date has yet been released.
Paramount Pictures delayed its plan for a three-week shoot of Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible 7” in Venice, Italy. In a statement, the studio said, “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.”
“The Bachelorette” producers have canceled the upcoming season’s trip to Italy. Producers will have to find a new destination for Season 16’s travel episodes.
Music Festivals/Concert Tours:
BTS canceled its “Map of the Soul” tour shows in Korea. The concert dates scheduled for April 11, 12, 18 and 19 at Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium have been called off. Ticket buyers were automatically refunded the price of their purchase. The Seoul performances were originally scheduled to be the opening shows of the world tour, but with the cancellation, BTS’ first date will likely be April 25.
Mariah Carey announced on Twitter she was rescheduling a March 10 concert in Hawaii due to the “evolving international travel restrictions” caused by the coronavirus. She has moved the Honolulu concert stop to Nov. 28.
Miami’s Ultra Music Festival that was scheduled for March 20-22 has reportedly been postponed. This could be the first time in 21 years that the three-day electronic music festival will not be happening. The event was set to feature performances from Flume, Zedd, Sofi Tukker, Gryffin and more.
Khalid postponed his Asian tour dates. Khalid was set to perform in Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Seoul, Mumbai and Bangalore between March 24 and April 15.
Avril Lavigne was supposed to begin the Asian leg of her “Head Above Water” world tour in Shenzhen, China, on April 23, but the Canadian singer announced that it would not be happening. “You’re in my thoughts and prayers,” Lavigne said on Instagram. “We are hoping to announce rescheduled shows soon.”
Green Day canceled its tour dates scheduled in Asia. The band’s “Hella Mega” tour would have taken them throughout the continent, starting in Singapore and stopping in Bangkok, Manila, Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo. The group also noted that it would announce new dates “very soon.”
Industry Events, Markets and Festivals:
Google canceled its biggest annual event, I/O, which was set to run in View, Calif., from May 12-14. Last year’s conference featured keynotes, panel discussions and a first look at Google’s latest developer products and platforms. I/O has been held each year since 2008.
Facebook’s F8 developers conference is no longer taking place on May 5-6. Facebook is planning “other ways for our community to get together through a combo of locally hosted events, videos and live streamed content” in place of the in-person event. More details are pending.
The Cannes Film Festival is monitoring the developments and the latest guidelines regarding coronavirus after news broke of Cannes’ first case. The festival has not been canceled as of yet and is still set to take place in May.
MipTV, France’s TV market in Cannes, has been canceled and postponed its third annual drama sidebar, Canneseries. The cancellation also covers offshoot events MipDoc and MipFormats, which take place the weekend before the market. Canneseries will now run alongside Mipcom (Oct. 12-15), running from Oct. 9-14. Organizers have said MipTV will return next April, alongside a fourth edition of Canneseries.
Hong Kong FilMart, Asia’s largest film and TV trade fair, postponed its scheduled date in March to a new slot in August. The market will be cut from four days to three, and be held Aug. 27-29.
Amazon Studios, Netflix and Apple have all pulled out of their SXSW plans. The two screenings and panels Amazon Studios planned for “Tales of the Loop” and “Upload,” in addition to a consumer marketing activation, have been canceled as well as Netflix’s five film screenings and its panel for #BlackExcellence. Apple was set to premiere three new Apple TV Plus originals, including Spike Jonze’s documentary film “Beastie Boys Story” and was scheduled to host a discussion of Apple’s “Little America’ with the docuseries’ writers.