‘The Witcher’ Becomes First Netflix Production in the UK to Halt Production Due to Coronavirus

“The Witcher” in now the latest in a string of productions to shut down due coronavirus concerns. According to The Hollywood Reporter, filming on the second season of the fantasy series has been suspended for two weeks, making it the first Netflix show to halt production in the UK.

“Cast and crew health is our primary concern. We are dealing with an unprecedented global pandemic that is beyond our control, and in many instances with mandates or restrictions imposed by governments (including travel restrictions in many countries),” according a Hollywood Reporter source and email. “As such, we have made the decision, effective immediately, to pause production for 2 weeks during this difficult time, and we will support our production partners working on Netflix UK scripted series in doing the same. This will allow everyone the time to make informed decisions about how to move forward.”

It is believed that cast and crew are continuing to be paid during the hiatus. “Peaky Blinders” and “Line of Duty” have also followed suit and halted production on their series. “The Crown,” which is close to the end of production, is still shooting, THR reports.

Just last week, reports came out that Netflix shut down one of its offices due to the pandemic. According to Variety's sources, the streaming giant closed one of its Los Angeles offices “after an employee was believed to have contracted coronavirus.” All employees of that building were advised to leave and start working from home while the building is undergoing heavy cleaning.

The Hollywood Reporter also reported that Apple TV+ shut down production on their hit original “The Morning Show.” Though no one on the team was diagnosed with the virus, the series will be taking a two-week hiatus as a precautionary measure.