Why So Many Movies Started Filming This Week

Screen Rant

By Joshua Letona

Published Jul 2, 2021

Many movies starting filming in summer 2021, including Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. productions because COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.

The start of July 2021 was accompanied by various announcements stating production had begun on several tentpole releases — so why did so many movies start production on the same week? As pandemic restrictions are lifted more every day, Hollywood is slowly returning to normal. While some films filmed under COVID guidelines, this past week saw a surge in productions.

Knives Out 2, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and John Wick 4 all began production this week, according to studio announcements. While all of the films are major studio releases, that's only a fraction of the movies that started or will shoot in mid to late July. For movie fans, it won't be long to see some of their favorite franchises return to the silver screen.

In February 2020, Mission Impossible 7 and The Matrix 4 were well into shooting. As COVID-19 restrictions got extremely tight by mid-March, however, Hollywood shut down its productions. Studios reevaluated plans as the summer that followed was the most devastating in box office history as movie theaters were forced to close. While some studios turned to VOD and drive-ins surged in popularity, A Quiet Place Part II and Black Widow were delayed for over a whole year. Meanwhile, movies like Mission Impossible and The Matrix waited until early to late Fall as COVID guidelines became more relaxed. Studios had pressure to keep the productions safe, which meant following social distancing rules and no positive COVID cases.

Actor Tom Cruise was at the forefront, trying to create the formula for a safe work environment that led to a leaked audio rant on set for Mission Impossible. The film ended up shutting down production again after a positive COVID case in early June this year. After the major production shutdowns in March, film delays were necessary. Even major companies like Marvel Studios started shifting release dates for its upcoming movies. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which started production prior to the pandemic, was able to finish shooting without a single positive case. COVID safe productions were important to set the example for other movies.

Now a year and three months later, as vaccinations become widely available and the number of cases decreased, Hollywood's been busy getting production started again. A Quiet Place Part II and F9 also boasted big domestic opening weekends, $48 million and $70 million respectively, which were a positive sign for the industry: F9 delivered what fans are looking for, and as a result, movie-goers came out to support the theatrical release. As money trickles in, studios can now start investing in their films again as casts and crews return to work. All this remains possible as long as the COVID-19 guidelines are still in place to keep the virus from spreading.

Next: Why Black Widow’s New Release Date Delay Is Good For The MCU