Michael Bay Readies Pandemic Thriller To Be Shot During Pandemic
Although we are nowhere close to a post-COVID-19 world, we are starting to see a reality in which filming might be able to resume — with precautions, of course. While select blockbusters (such as Avatar 2) have been able to start up again internationally, we haven't seen too much action in the movie-making epicenters of Los Angeles or New York City. That is, until news dropped that the Michael Bay-produced thriller Songbird has been given the green light to continue production. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the production team had resolved safety issues on the film months ago. How is that possible? Well, you see, Songbird is set during a pandemic.
Helmed by Adam Mason, Songbird will be set two years in the future, as a vaccine for a mysterious virus remains elusive. Because of this, characters will naturally be wearing masks and practicing social distancing, making the risks of shooting relatively low. Despite a small hiccup with SAG-AFTRA, who hit the film with a “Do Not Work” notice before immediately rescinding it, Songbird is in the clear.
Shooting with the cast —which includes Demi Moore, Craig Robinson, and Peter Stormare — officially resumed on July 6. Bay is confident that the team's filming methods will get the job done without sacrificing any safety regulations. “We are literally going to be the first film shooting in L.A.," said Bay to THR. “And we have a kind of special sauce with how we're doing it where there's zero contact.”
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