14 hours ago
5
Hollywood is hunkered down as deadly wildfires rage all around Los Angeles County. Tens of thousands have evacuated from their homes, primarily from the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in northern Los Angeles along the coast, and some deaths have even been reported. Other major blazes in the San Fernando Valley and near Pasadena have also been ongoing and required evacuations.
With life and property of course taking precedent over production and premieres, below are some of the more high-profile Hollywood events scrapped or postponed due to the fires, with the latest being the AFI Awards luncheon.
We’ll update this list should more events be postponed.
AFI Awards Luncheon
AFI said in a statement, “Given the tragedies that prevail in Los Angeles, the spirit of community we strive for at AFI AWARDS will be unachievable on Friday – and so we will be postponing the event.” The event was to have taken place at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. No new date has been announced yet.
“The Pitt” Premiere
Think of “The Pitt” as Max’s “E.R.” — even if “The Pitt” producers really, really don’t want you to think of their show that way. (And even if at least two of “The Pitt” producers, John Wells and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill, were also “E.R.” producers.)
Like “E.R.,” “The Pitt” stars Noah Wyle as an emergency room doctor in a city hospital. The Max series is staged in close to real time across 15 episodes of a single shift at a Pittsburgh hospital. The series was meant to premiere on Wednesday.
“Out of an abundance of caution due to the ongoing Palisades Fire and continued wind advisories through tomorrow, we are canceling Wednesday’s premiere event for ‘The Pitt,'” a Max spokesperson emailed to media booked to attend. “The safety and well-being of our attendees, staff, and community are our top priority. We are grateful for the first responders bravely working to protect our community, and our thoughts are with those affected. Stay safe!”
“Better Man” Premiere
“Better Man,” the Robbie Williams musical in which the pop singer appears as a CGI chimp, is hoping for awards buzz and box office love, but count its high-profile premiere among the events canceled due to the raging wildfires. The film was meant to have its LA premiere on the Paramount lot in Hollywood.
“Due to the dangerous conditions affecting Los Angeles we are canceling [Wednesday’s] premiere of ‘Better Man,'” a Paramount Pictures spokesperson said. “Our thoughts are with those impacted by the devastating fires resulting from these conditions, and we encourage everyone to stay safe and follow guidance and orders from local officials and government agencies.”
“Unstoppable” DGA Event
The spreading wildfires stopped an “Unstoppable” red carpet event from taking place at the DGA on Tuesday, the day the fires broke out. Stars Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez as well as co-stars Don Cheadle and Michael Peña were meant to attend, as was the subject of the true story wrestling drama Anthony Robles and his mother.
“In light of today’s safety concerns around heightened wind activity and fire outbreaks in Los Angeles, we regret to inform you that we are canceling tonight’s premiere of ‘Unstoppable,’” the studio said in a press statement Tuesday afternoon. “As much as we were looking forward to celebrating this wonderful and inspiring film with you, safety is our first priority. We encourage everyone to watch ‘Unstoppable’ on Prime Video, which will be available globally on January 16. Thank you for your understanding and please stay safe.”
“Wolf Man” Premiere
Universal’s horror movie “Wolf Man” stars Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott and is directed by Leigh Whannell. The film was meant to make its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Tuesday evening. It’s unclear if the date will be rescheduled. The film opens nationwide on January 17.
“[Tuesday’s] premiere of ‘Wolf Man’ is cancelled due to sensitivities around the worsening weather situation in LA and related evacuations,” a Universal Pictures rep shared with IndieWire.
SAG Awards Nominations (live in-person)
We still got the SAG Awards nominations on Wednesday morning, they just didn’t happen as originally planned.
“In an abundance of caution for the safety of our presenters, guests, and staff, the live in-person 31st Annual SAG Awards nominations announcement has been cancelled due to the wildfires and adverse wind conditions in Los Angeles,” the Screen Actors Guild said in a statement shared Tuesday with media.
Instead, we got the announcement via press release.
“We look forward to celebrating these incredible actors and their work at the SAG Awards ceremony on February 23,” the statement continued. “In the meantime, we urge everyone to stay safe, and thank you for your continued support.”
BAFTA Tea Party
BAFTA’s annual tea party that celebrates film honorees from the year was preemptively canceled ahead of its scheduled date on January 11. Like the AFI Awards Luncheon, the BAFTA Tea Party was to have taken place at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills, but a day after the AFI event.
“In light of the dangerous winds and wildfires in Los Angeles, we are cancelling this weekend’s BAFTA Tea Party. The safety of our colleagues, friends and peers in Los Angeles remains our utmost priority and our thoughts are with everyone impacted,” a spokesperson for the event said in a statement.
“Hacks” Pauses Production
Universal Studio Groups, which produces Max’s “Hacks,” Peacock’s upcoming “Suits: LA,” and series like “Loot,” “Ted,” and “Happy’s Place,” have all paused production amid the fires, an individual with knowledge of told IndieWire. The shows were filming on Universal’s lower lot in Universal City, which has been closed for the day.
English (US) ·