For many, shows and movies have always been there to provide a constant stream of entertainment. Hence, the emergence of COVID-19 has raised multiple concerns about the future of the filming industry. 

Due to health protocols, Hollywood was forced to halt filming globally, causing many productions to be canceled or postponed, such as “Wonder Woman,” “A Quiet Place II” and “Batman.” Not only has the virus threatened the jobs of actors, directors and production team members, but it has also impacted the audiences who are struggling to find new sources of entertainment during quarantine.

“Out of all the new movies, I was stoked to see “Batman.” Unfortunately, it got postponed,” senior Kaitlin Molloy said. “But I’ll wait for Robert Pattison any day and I’m excited for when it does come out.”

The cancellations of many anticipated movies due to the coronavirus have been met with both disappointment or sympathy. Some movies like “Hamilton” and “Mulan” have premiered on streaming services instead of waiting for the big screens to re-open.

“I definitely understand the cancellations because I want everyone to be safe, and if filming a show cannot occur safely, it’s acceptable,” senior Lila York said. “Plus, it gives me the chance to binge-watch old TV shows.”

According to CNBC, production teams strive to continue their work by changing traditional methods for pre-production. This includes altering scripts, videocasting and choosing locations with stricter health and safety precautions. However, filming in-person is required in order to edit and release their work.

“I’m hesitant to support filming again because it’s putting people in danger,” Molloy said. “Especially since everyone looks up to celebrities; they are examples of society and shouldn’t encourage careless behavior.”

According to The Guardian, Hollywood already faces a hefty loss of $20 billion as a result of so many cancellations. New steps towards an online workspace and returning to an in-person environment has become a new reality for many directors and actors as they transfer their work to online.

As production teams try to come up with solutions, they anticipate that filming will resume under normal procedures by the summer of 2021, stated by CNBC. Leaving diehard fans with no choice, they are adapting to the pandemic just like the artists, while they wait for new seasons and movies. 

With over 16 million new subscribers in Netflix ever since the lockdown and a rise in subscriptions for other streaming services, many new movies have been set to premiere earlier. With over 25 new movies, through Disney+, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu, the public can now watch movies that were once set to premiere on a big screen to our at-home devices. 

“Film distribution is one of the parts most affected by the lockdown,” senior Sujay Khona said. “However, the rise in streaming services gives more freedom to the creators of film and gives indie creators a chance to get their work to a wide audience, so there are some positives.”