When asked about how Hollywood could restart production, Joe Russo suggested that mass testing is probably the answer.
Although streaming services have seen plenty of love since stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders went into effect worldwide, the production side of Hollywood has more or less been at a standstill since closures over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak began. Television series and movies alike have been delayed because of their inability to film, and, as of right now, there’s no clear picture of when things will return to business as usual.
Joe Russo, who wrote Netflix’s Extraction, which arrives at the end of the month, spoke about restarting production with Collider, suggesting that it would probably take more testing for the industry to reopen.
“What I think it’s gonna come down to, and you see what other countries are doing really effectively is they’re using testing,” Russo explained. “They’re using quick testing and they’re using frequent testing and they’re using information, and tracking the virus so we know where it is. I think that not until testing is ubiquitous will you see a return to normal life.”
This is a sentiment that’s been echoed by health officials and governors nationwide, but given the limited amount of tests in the U.S. right now, it could be a while before we’re able to track the virus on such a large scale. That said, Russo doesn’t think lesser measures, like isolating the cast and crew, would be an effective solution.
“That could only work in a circumstance where everyone was at the same hotel and you weren’t interacting with the outside world, and then you’re asking people not to go to dinner or get a drink. it would be hard to control on that level,” he said.
It’s true that doing this could infringe upon the freedoms of those involved in production, and it’s something that would certainly be difficult to track if anyone was to lie or have outside contact, even with family members. It’s also still unclear if those who have already had the virus can be infected again, and this could add another layer of problems if anyone on set has already tested positive.
Testing does seem to be the safest solution, but that still leaves a giant question mark as to when Hollywood will see operations resume. On the brightside, viewers have plenty of content to hold them over through the current crisis — though how this crisis will affect Hollywood down the line remains to be seen.
For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.