The Batman and Fantastic Beasts 3 are officially allowed to resume production in the U.K. Back in mid-March, the coronavirus pandemic forced most ongoing film and television productions to shut down for the time being. The constantly-growing list included Jurassic World 3, The Matrix 4, and season 4 of Stranger Things. While many hoped to resume work after a few weeks, their delays were all extended as the situation gradually declined. Studios and networks have been cautious about deciding when crews can get back to work, even as some countries lift their restrictions.
News of the U.K. including film productions in their reopening guidelines broke a few weeks ago, which would have given films like The Batman and Fantastic Beasts 3 permission to begin again. However, despite that news, Warner Bros. opted to keep both productions on hold in the interest of safety. In fact, most productions seem to be erring on the side of caution in other countries that have lifted restrictions, like the Czech Republic and New Zealand. So far, the biggest film to get back to work is James Cameron's Avatar 2, which resumed filming last week.
Now The Guardian suggests The Batman and Fantastic Beasts 3 could be among the next to resume filming. The U.K. government and health bodies have officially signed off on new coronavirus safety guidelines, which were drawn up by the British Film Commission and the British Film Institute. These guidelines reportedly include rules on physical distancing, safety training, and temperature tests. With the guidelines passed, the producers of both The Batman and Fantastic Beasts 3 have been given the okay to resume work, though it is still their choice about whether they actually will. Additional productions that can start up again include The Little Mermaid and The Witcher season 2.
If they opt to begin again soon, they can do so by July. This will likely come as a relief to Warner Bros., as both movies are among the biggest on their 2021 slate. The Batman was about a quarter of the way into production when it was shut down, which forced the DC film to leave its original June release date for October 21. Meanwhile, Fantastic Beasts 3 was just about to start filming before the shut down was put into effect, so it still has a great deal of work to complete. However, as of right now, it has not been delayed from its November 12 release date.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the entertainment industry rather hard, both when it comes to those ongoing productions and to the movies that were supposed to be released this year. The next potential film on the 2020 release calendar is Warner Bros.' own Tenet, though there are a lot of factors that could lead to it being delayed. Seeing as theatrical releases are still so uncertain right now, studios are probably desperate to get back to work on their upcoming projects. In the end, though, it's up to Warner Bros. to decide if The Batman and Fantastic Beasts 3 can pick up soon.
Source: The Guardian
