UK Announces Film Production Will Resume With Cast & Crew ‘Exempt’ From Quarantine Rules
On Sunday, July 5, the U.K. government announced its plans to allow film and TV production to resume this summer. Regulations will be relaxed for directors, cast, and crew, with guidelines in place to keep the communities around the filming areas safe from coronavirus.
“The exemption applies to those individuals coming to England specifically to work in film and television productions which qualify as British under one of the government’s cultural tests and co-production treaties,” stated the governmental press release. “Any such individuals will be required to remain for 14 days within a ‘bubble’ that includes only their place of accommodation and production location.”
The U.K.’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden also posted a tweet that was accompanied by a photo of a video conference call between himself and the producers of Mission: Impossible 7, which stars American actor and director Tom Cruise, talking about filming beginning shortly at the Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire. The film is now expected to be released on Nov. 19, 2021.
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New exemption from quarantine rules for filmmakers means we can start making the ? best blockbusters again
Great to talk to @TomCruise last weekend about getting the cameras rolling again on Mission: Impossible 7 at #Leavesden https://t.co/We5JhITbYg pic.twitter.com/ebw33aeRXC
— Oliver Dowden (@OliverDowden) July 5, 2020
The culture secretary also stated that he believes the return of the TV and film industries will be of great benefit to the U.K. economy and is great news for both film lovers and the “thousands employed in the screen industries.” Dowden then added that despite lifting quarantine rules, each production will be given a set of British Film Commission’s Covid-19 Guidelines to prevent any further spread of the virus.
“Today’s immensely welcome news is also a clear recognition of the importance of the film and high-end TV inward investment sector to the UK’s economy. The sector was worth over £3bn in 2019, and has a clear role to play in our economic recovery following the lockdown,” said Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of the British Film Commission.
Also included on the list of movies set to film in the U.K. this summer are Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Sony’s live-action adaptation Cinderella and Matt Reeve’s The Batman reported The Hollywood Reporter. Jurassic World: Dominion starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard is set to resume filming July 6 at Universal in Pinewood. The third Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is set to go into production soon as well despite the sequel’s unflattering reviews, as reported by The Inquisitr.
The British government’s plan to give the green light to production came just after the country reopened cinemas, pubs, and restaurants on July 4. The plan comes along with the reinstatement of a large number of sporting events such as league football, international cricket, and the British Grand Prix.
