“Lord of the Rings” has stopped production, due to coronavirus fears, notes Deadline.
The trade publication cites The New Zealand Herald, which reported that Amazon’s remake of the J.R.R. Tolkien novel, made famous on screen by director Peter Jackson’s trilogy, was suspended.
The country has strict rules that anyone who enters must be isolated for 14 days. According to the producer’s memo, there is no date yet when production will resume.
GSR Productions’ memo read:
“In an abundance of caution, UAP [Untitled Amazon Project] has suspended production for the next two (2) weeks commencing Monday, March 16. This is done in an environment where travel restrictions directed at the control of Covid-19 are issued daily by New Zealand and most other countries.”
Like other TV and film productions that have been halted, the goal is to reduce the spread of the virus.
In addition, Netflix’s “The Witcher” has shut down production for two weeks on its second season. It is the streamer’s first show to suspend production in the UK.
Over the weekend, governors in New York and Los Angeles ordered movie theaters closed. Reports note the U.S. box office has hit its lowest point in two decades.