A person working on “The Batman” production has tested positive for COVID-19 and the UK shoot has been temporarily suspended.
A spokesperson for Warner Bros. said Thursday that the individual is currently isolating in accordance with established protocols.
Variety, the Hollywood Reporter and Vanity Fair all cited sources as saying the person who tested positive was UK actor Robert Pattinson, the film’s star.
Warner Bros. and Pattinson’s representatives did not return calls seeking comment. It was not clear to what extent Pattinson, 34, best known for his breakout role in the vampire movie series “Twilight,” was suffering COVID-19 symptoms.
Pattinson is starring as the caped crusader in the new film from director Matt Reeves which had resumed filming a few days ago after an almost six-month hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was one of the first major productions to resume in the UK with enhanced safety and distancing measures in place.
Hollywood has been slowly and cautiously getting back to work around the world in the COVID-era. “Jurassic World: Dominion” is another major Hollywood production that started up again recently in the U.K., at Pinewood Studios outside of London. And other blockbusters have been filming around the world including Disney’s “Avatar” in New Zealand. Each country has its own set of safety protocols and guidelines.
Regardless of how eager people are to get back on set, uncertainty looms over the safety of it, liabilities and public relations headaches should anyone get sick. The New York Times reported in August that a few crewmembers on Universal’s “Jurassic World” had tested positive, had quarantined and no one became seriously ill.
“The Batman” had had a brush with coronavirus in March as well. Andrew Jack, a famed dialect coach and actor who had been working on the movie before lockdown, contracted coronavirus and died. Reeves at the time tweeted that they were “heartbroken.”
“The Batman” was originally supposed to hit theaters in June 2021 but was pushed back to October because of the delays. The cast includes Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis and Paul Dano.
