Movie studio Warner Bros. <T.N> said in a
statement that "a member of 'The Batman' production" in Britain
had tested positive for the coronavirus, but did not give a
name. "Filming is temporarily paused," the studio's statement
added, but did not say for how long.
Variety, the Hollywood Reporter and Vanity Fair all cited
sources as saying the person who tested positive was Pattinson,
the film's star.
Warner Bros. and Pattinson's representatives did not return
calls seeking comment. It was not clear to what extent Pattinson,
34, best known for his breakout role in the vampire movie series
"Twilight," was suffering COVID-19 symptoms.
Filming of "The Batman" had resumed north of London only three
days ago after being shut down in mid-March, along with dozens
of other movies and TV shows around the world due to the
coronavirus.
The movie, in which Pattinson stars as the comic book hero, has
about three months of material left to shoot, according to
Hollywood trade outlets. Its release was pushed back earlier
this year from June 2021 to October 2021.
Movie and TV production has been slow to get going again in the
United States under complex safety procedures that include
testing, quarantine and social distancing on sets that employ
dozens of crew members, makeup artists, actors, extras and other
production staff.
Some productions, including Universal Pictures' <CMCSA>O>
"Jurassic World: Dominion," have restarted in London or in
Eastern Europe, while the cast of the "Avatar" sequel is back at
work in New Zealand, where the coronavirus has been kept in
check.
Tom Cruise in July got permission to shoot parts of the next
"Mission Impossible" thriller in Norway without having to follow
quarantine requirements. However, Variety reported that the
production has hired two cruise ships to house the crew to keep
them apart from locals.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeantl; Editing by Sandra Maler and
Jonathan Oatis)
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