Time to shine the Penguin-Signal.
We learned yesterday that a “member of The Batman production [had] tested positive for COVID-19,” leading to production temporarily being shut down. It turns out the “member” is Robert Pattinson (which was initially reported by Vanity Fair and confirmed by the New York Times), and although the Dark Knight actor is still sidelined, the show (superhero film) must go on. The Daily Mail reports that The Batman production crew is “working around the clock” to film as many scenes as possible without Pattinson, which doesn’t sound potentially hazardous for everyone involved, nope, not at all:
The Hollywood actor — who is understood to have turned up on set with a temperature – will have to stay away from filming for 14 days while he recovers and to ensure he doesn’t spread the deadly virus. Amid fears that halting production for two weeks could cost as much as £5 million [over $6 million], the film’s director Matt Reeves is trying to film as much as he can at the Warner Bros. Studio in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, without his leading man.
Any of the 130-strong crew who did not have direct contact with Pattinson are being asked to return to work.
The irony of the world’s most famous masked hero testing positive for COVID should not be lost on anyone, but it has been, as “the United Kingdom industry is confident that crews are observing COVID-19 protocols,” according to Variety. Adrian Wootton, chief executive of the British Film Commission and Film London, told the publication, “We’re confident that with all measures in place, any production will resume filming as soon as it’s safe to do so. We also believe this will not impact production overall continuing in U.K., precisely because we have such robust health and safety measures operating, enabling our world-class film and high-end TV sector to get back up and running.”
Maybe Batman can work things out with the Riddler over Zoom.
(Via the Daily Mail)
