Blow-up dolls are certainly one way of dealing with coronavirus. More CGI could be another. We talked with some celebrities to see how the pandemic might change the industry. Quiet on the set!
Ser’Darius Blain is all of us during the pandemic.
Ser’Darius Blain: “I really have no answers. I have a lot of questions. I mean, are we gonna build a film campus for every movie? You know what I mean? How does that work?”
The “Jumanji” actor, who’s from Miami (305 represent!), is wondering how movies will be made in this new world of COVID.
He’s not alone, but one thing’s for sure.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: “It will be different.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in the new thriller “7500.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (as Tobias Ellis): “They don’t have guns! They don’t have knives! If you work together, you can beat them!”
He’s concerned about safety.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: “I want it to be really, really, really safe. I’m not comfortable going back to work unless I believe it’s really safe.”
Judd Apatow, the director of “The King of Staten Island,” feels the same.
Judd Apatow: “A set is very intimate. Everyone’s touching each other, everyone’s right on top of each other, and I think it might take a few beats for us to figure out the best approach.”
Hollywood may not be quite ready yet, but Los Angeles is. County officials there put guidelines in place, like health checks when anyone arrives on set, along with masks and social distancing when possible.
Judd Apatow: “I’d rather wait until I’m 100% sure the protocols work than to rush into anything.”
But overseas, blockbusters like the “Avatar” sequels and “Mission: Impossible 7” have started production again.
While Hollywood reportedly may use more CGI to get around social distancing issues, Fandango’s Erik Davis thinks practical effects will still win the day, because it’s what fans like.
Erik Davis, Fandango: “They want to see films that are shot on location, that feel tangible, that include effects that you feel like you can reach out and touch, because it just brings us closer to the storytelling.”
Ultimately, he’s confident in Hollywood’s fortitude.
Erik Davis: “The one thing we have seen is that they work it out. We figure it out, and Hollywood figures it out.”
But if they don’t for a little while?
Judd Apatow: “You know what everyone can do? Read a book! There’s books everywhere. Get a Kindle.”
Kindle is not a paid sponsor of Deco Drive.
Meanwhile, theater chains are making moves, too. Regal is opening July 10, Cinemark a week later, and AMC just announced a July 15 reopen.
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