Hulu’s Woke Forced To Pause Production Following COVID-19 Diagnosis

Hulu’s Woke is the latest series forced to pause production following a positive test for COVID-19. A member of the crew tested positive for COVID-19, and a number of fellow crew members who are unvaccinated came into close contact with him. Those crew members will have to self-isolate for two weeks, raising the possibility that they will have to be replaced in order to get the show moving again. The individual who tested positive is identified as being a department head who works in “Zone A,” which means that they are present on set while members of the cast aren’t wearing masks.

Per a report at Variety, who first broke the story, crew members who work in Zone A who are vaccinated will not be asked to quarantine before returning to work. COVID-19 protocols put into place when film and TV resumed have changed the face of production over the last year, but have allowed creatives to get back to work amid the pandemic.

According to the Director’s Guild of America’s website, it is legally possible for insurers or producers to mandate all Zone A employees be vaccinated, but in this case it appears that rule was not in effect.

The series centers on Lamorne Morris, who plays Keef, an African-American cartoonist on the verge of mainstream success when an unexpected event changes his life. With a fresh outlook on the world, Keef must navigate the new voices and ideas that confront and challenge him. In addition to Morris, Woke stars iZombie‘s Rose McIver, Blake Anderson, and J.B. Smoove, among others. The critically acclaimed series premiered on Hulu in September 2020, and was renewed for a second season in November.