Getting back on track…
Multiple high profile movies have been reportedly cleared to resume filming and production, specifically in the UK. Matt Reeves’ The Batman is set to return to filming, they had already filmed around 7 weeks of footage before production was shut down.
Among the other movies which will resume are Jurassic World: Dominion, Mission Impossible 7, Fantastic Beasts 3, Sony’s Cinderella & Disney’s The Little Mermaid. More may be confirmed at a later date or may resume shortly.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has commented on the situation: “Our creativity, expertise and highly successful tax reliefs for our screen industries means that we are an in-demand location that in turn delivers a great return for our economy. We want the industry to bounce back and exempting small numbers of essential cast and crew from quarantine is part of our continued commitment to getting cameras rolling safely again.”
The UK hasn’t been the only area to allow production of shows and movies to resume for certain projects. New Zealand has allowed Amazon to resume The Lord of the Rings series, Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop series and James Cameron’s Avatar sequels (which reportedly began production again in mid-June), while the Czech Republic has reportedly allowed Marvel to continue production on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series. Of course, all of these movies and shows will be compliant to specific safety measures to ensure the protection of cast and crew.
Alongside these reports, Matt Reeves and his production company, 6th & Idaho, have signed an overall deal with Warner Bros which will see Warner Bros become the home of all future productions from the company. According to Variety: “The deal encompasses all platforms, including broadcast, cable, and WarnerMedia’s flagship streaming service, HBO Max. The projects will be produced in association with Warner Bros. Television, Warner Horizon Scripted Television, Warner Bros. Animation or Blue Ribbon Content, depending on the platform.”
The Batman will be released in October 1st 2021 as opposed to its June 21st 2021 date. Robert Pattinson stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman, joined by an exciting cast featuring Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone.
Mission Impossible 7 will be released on November 19th 2021, while Mission Impossible 8 will be released on November 4th 2020, with Christopher McQuarrie set to return to direct both 7 & 8 after directing the two previous Mission Impossible’s. Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson will both return alongside series newcomer Hayley Atwell and a whole host of other cast members. There are at least two more Mission Impossible movies in the works, with Atwell set for at least one of the instalments and Cruise set for both.
Expect more news on these situations as they begin to either worsen or improve.
By Jimmy Ioannou
Images provided by Warner Bros, DC Comics & Matt Reeves/Twitter
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