Netflix calls off production on ‘The Witcher’ amid coronavirus scare

PTI, Mar 16, 2020, 6:13 PM IST

Los Angeles: Streaming platform Netflix has halted production on the second season of fantasy drama “The Witcher” due to coronavirus outbreak.

According to Deadline, the Henry Cavill-starrer, which is shot at London’s Arborfield Studios, is the first major scripted series to be put on hold in the UK.

The crew was informed about the decision via email on Sunday.

“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),” the mail read.

There are currently no Netflix feature films in production in the UK. Netflix has also halted production on action heist thriller “Red Notice”, starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds.

On Monday, “Grey’s Anatomy” suspended the production of the show for “at least two weeks”.

The news follows a series of big postponements and cancellations across the globe including the Coachella desert music festival, Beverly Hills Film Festival, India Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA).

Across the US, events including the Las Vegas CinemaCon movie theatre summit, SXSW and the Tribeca Film Festival in New York have been called off or postponed.

New York’s Broadway theatre district last week canceled performances for a month to avoid large public gatherings.

American rock band Pearl Jam postponed the first leg of their North American tour, while pop star Mariah Carey has shifted a planned concert in Hawaii.

J Cole’s Dreamville Festival, Thomas Yorke’s North American tour and Celine Dion’s have also been canceled.

The novel COVID-19, which originated in China’s Wuhan city, has claimed over 6,500 lives and infected more than 169,000 people over 135 countries and territories.