Disney is halting the production of some of its live-action films as concerns over the growing coronavirus pandemic worsen.
“While there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our productions, after considering the current environment and the best interests of our cast and crew, we have made the decision to pause production on some of our live-action films for a short time. We will continue to assess the situation and restart as soon as feasible,” the company said in a statement.
This move could impact films like “The Little Mermaid,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “Home Alone,” “The Last Duel,” “Nightmare Alley,” as well as “Peter Pan & Wendy” and “Shrunk.”
It’s currently unclear how many employees will be impacted by the production shutdown. The film industry is notorious for its short-term employment opportunities, with movie crews working anywhere from just a few months to a little under a year on projects. They then move on to the next film.
It is also unclear if Disney’s animations studios will also be shuttered. Disney was not immediately available to provide additional comment.
“[The coronavirus] will have horrifying effect on production,” Eric Schiffer, CEO and chairman of Patriarch Organization and Reputation Management Consultants, said.
Schiffer warned that there could be a “drought of content” across the film and television industry if productions are shut down for too long.
Disney has already postponed the release of “Mulan,” which was supposed to debut in theaters on March 27. Disney has not yet set a new release date.
Additionally, Disney has shuttered all of its theme parks for the entire month of March to help stem transmission of COVID-19.
Correction: Disney is halting production on some live-action films. An earlier version of this story misstated the extent of the production halt.
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