For some reason, when I first heard of the Coronavirus and what it does, my mind conjured an image of Thanos snapping his fingers. Twisted right? You see, like Thanos, this virus is dead set on obliterating the human race, although I really doubt it carries similar philosophical thinking as the Marvel villain. Yet, like the malevolent creature, COVID-19 is a cause of trepidation globally and as of now, it seems virtually unstoppable. The Coronavirus has interrupted the normal flow of the world, interrupting operations in various industries, from transport and manufacturing to hospitality and tourism, including our beloved film industry.
The film industry has taken a hard blow in the gut due to the pandemic, with release dates and productions of major movies and TV series being postponed or canceled indefinitely as a prevention measure against the spread of the virus. This not only causes huge disappointment for fans but also causes significant financial losses as people employed in the film industry are forced to withdraw from their daily jobs. Actors, like Tom Hanks and Idris Elba, have already been confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 and so they definitely won’t be going back to work any time soon until their recovery and hopefully the containment of this pandemic.
Films like WW84, Black Widow, A Quiet Place Part 2, Mulan, Antlers, The New Mutants and The Lovebirds have had their releases postponed and new release dates yet to be announced. This is simply heartbreaking considering fans globally (me being one of them) had been patiently awaiting these films since the release of their various trailers. We also have Fast and Furious 9, whose release has been postponed to next year April 2nd. Honestly every time I think of this, tears well up in my eyes.
There is some good news though. Films such as Emma, Onward, The Invisible Man, The Hunt, Birds of Prey, Bloodshot, The Gentlemen and Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker have already been released online for streaming. Other films will also be streaming soon, like The Call of the Wild, Downhill, I Still Believe and Trolls World Tour. The thing is, until scientists come up with a vaccine or governments manage to contain the virus’ spread, we won’t have any new movies or series. So for now, all we can do is stay home, take the necessary care during this pandemic and watch as many movies and series as we can.😅
Images courtesy of Fandom.
