Published 17:40 IST, October 7th 2020
'Batwoman,' 'Riverdale' & 'Maid' to resume shooting in British Columbia from October 7
Despite the clouds of uncertainty about the COVID testing for production houses, the Warner Bros television shows like Batwoman, Riverdale, Maid will start work
Despite the clouds of uncertainty about the testing system for British Columbia-based productions, the Warner Bros, television shows like Batwoman, Riverdale, and Maid is all set to resume shooting on October 7. The production house got the green signal from the government to resume work. According to Variety, the above-mentioned three shows and others including Nancy Drew, Charmed was forced to stop filming last week due to a delay in processing COVID tests done by a British lab.
Batwoman, Riverdale, and Maid to resume work
According to the International media outlet, the testing lab in British Columbia has a single company called Lifelabs is only approved to oversee coronavirus testing for all the US-based productions. Apart from this, WBTV’s shows like The Flash, Supergirl, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow were also supposed to begin filming last week in Vancouver, but nothing has been updated on the filming schedule. Tests are performed three times a week, and sources told Variety that the production shutdowns could happen again if the testing glut causes a show to not get results for the cast and crew back in time. The studios have lost millions of dollars by keeping these shows idle -- losses that insurance does not cover.
In British Columbia, coronavirus has been contained ably, which is why the province opened up for shooting in June. With that success in mind, one Vancouver producer expressed frustration to Variety about U.S.-based studios ignoring what has worked well in the province: "The government here said don't do asymptomatic testing. They came and did it anyway. It predictably didn't work, because our government, who has been successful in fighting the virus, is prioritizing the testing they deem medically necessary." The studios, meanwhile, have been trying to work with the lab -- and are possibly seeking back-up labs -- to avoid future backlogs
Updated 17:39 IST, October 7th 2020