As much as the outlook of what the COVID-19 fallout might look like in the US and around the world is a bit grim, there are bits of hope springing up from China, where the pandemic began. Considering the Asian country was put on lockdown weeks before we were in America, China serves as a decent litmus test to see how long it might take for us to be passed this pandemic. And after weeks of stoppages and shutdowns, it appears that the Chinese film and TV industry is beginning to get back to work, signaling that there is a bit of hope.
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Variety is reporting that several TV series and films in China have restarted production, weeks after everything was shut down due to COVID-19. And while we saw the cinemas in the country briefly reopen before closing once again, it appears that the production side of things might actually stay open for the foreseeable future.
Series such as “Legend of Fei,” starring Zhao Liying and Wang Yibo, and the film, “Impasse,” from director Zhang Yimou, are just two of the projects that have restarted production, signaling that the business may be getting back to normal in China.
“We’ve been shooting our TV series ‘Game Changer’ since the beginning of March. We’ve completed all the interiors and now have only one week outside to do,” Hishow Entertainment’s Wang Haiyi said. “We spent six weeks of lockdown in three hotels, with all the cast and crew, including star Huang Xiaoming. Nobody moved. But we were lucky to be near Chengdu which was not the worst part of the country affected by the virus, so we have been able to restart.”
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Of course, it’s important to look at everything that’s happening in China with skeptical, intelligent curiosity. Clearly, we can’t compare the COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in China to what’s happening in Europe, the US, or anywhere else around the world.
Laws and regulations are all different, with each country handling the outbreak in different ways. However, with China being the first country to report a COVID-19 case, and now, the first country to really see the light at the end of the tunnel, we can get an idea about how long this might be an issue in other territories. And, obviously, knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel is always a good thing.
So, yes, China is back to work on film and TV projects. But we’re still unsure when this might be the case in other places. Fingers crossed.
