Netflix Shuts Down All Productions in US and Canada

The spreading of the coronavirus outbreak has started to widely affect the entertainment industry, with most TV and film studios shifting release dates and pausing productions as a precaution. Now, Netflix is joining the fray, shutting down production on its original projects in order to keep the virus from spreading further. Netflix announced on Friday that all of its scripted television and film projects in the United States and Canada have been put on hold for at least two weeks. This includes shows like Stranger Things and Grace & Frankie.

At this time, Netflix hasn’t released many official details about the production shutdown, only that it is currently set to last two weeks and that the measure is being taken “due to government restrictions and health/safety precautions.”

Netflix joins the likes of Disney Television, Warner Bros. Television, and several other TV studios that have put a halt on their productions as the government works to combat the spreading of the virus.

“With the rapidly changing events related to COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution, Warner Bros. Television Group is halting production on some of our 70-plus series and pilots currently filming or about to begin,” WBTV said in a statement. “There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on any of our productions, but the health and safety of our employees, casts and crews remains our top priority. During this time, we will continue to follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control as well as local officials and public health professionals in each city where our productions are based.”

If these productions are only on hold for a matter of a week or two, their release schedules shouldn’t be affected that much, if at all. However, if these productions remain shut down for an extended period of time, the release of TV episodes could be delayed.