Hollywood’s once acclaimed golden consumer calf looks as if it’s cracking in two right before our very eyes thanks to the coronavirus. Reports are indicating that yet another big property won’t be making its widely publicized premiere in and throughout mainland China due to the quarantine to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.
According to ScreenRant, James Bond 007: No Time To Die had its premiere in China cancelled due to coronavirus, following the closure of various theaters throughout mainland China to reduce further spread of the outbreak.
While sections of China have undergone quarantine, it has impacted various movies, video games, and even anime shows.
According to Deadline, the entire crew cancelled the trip to China, and will now focus on the Western premiere of the film set for April 10th…
“Daniel Craig and the cast will not attend the Beijing screening or the subsequent publicity tour of China, which have been halted because of uncertainty surrounding the evolution of the epidemic. Cinemas across the world’s second-largest box office market remain shuttered indefinitely amid efforts to suppress the spreading of the disease. There is currently little clarity on when business may return to normal. The death toll in China now exceeds 1,600 people.”
The death toll keeps fluctuating with every new report. It was 1,800 according to some outlets, 1,700 according to some, and now it’s back down to 1,600. I didn’t know you could magically un-die from a virus over time?
It’s also funny how all those supposedly “Liberal Progressive” movie stars are taking flight and steering clear from China to avoid infection. I guess “diversity” isn’t really our strength, is it?
This comes shortly on the heels of another report from Deadline from February 17th, 2020 indicating that Chinese film director and executive, Chang Kai, who worked at Hubei Film Studios in Wuhan, China – where the outbreak originated – died from the virus. Not only that, but his family was affected as well, with his father, mother, and sister succumbed to coronavirus along with the director.
If this keeps up and China’s economy continues to collapse, I wonder if Hollywood’s elites will keep pushing for more “Asian diversity” in their movies or will they cut off their faux-benevolence and go back to making real films?
(Thanks for the news tip Gemma Ham)
(Main image courtesy of Entertainment Weekly)
