If you were waiting for the latest season of Stranger Things to hit your Netflix screens this April, then we’re afraid that you’ll have to wait some more. This is because all of Netflix’s upcoming productions have been halted due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus fiasco has greatly affected the TV industry all over the world. Multiple studios have already announced delays in the release dates of upcoming movies. Cinema houses across Europe and the US have been shut down. Even streaming channels, like Netflix and Disney+, are affected by the pandemic and will have to delay the release dates of several of their highly anticipated upcoming productions.
The situation hit Netflix particularly hard when one of its TV productions was directly impacted by coronavirus. The company sent an email to the Witcher production team that one of its cast members was diagnosed with the epidemic. Deadline revealed that this cast member is Kristofer Hivju, the Norwegian actor whom you might remember from his role in Game of Thrones.
Kristofer Hivju later released a statement on his Instagram revealing that he had indeed tested positive for the coronavirus and that he is currently in self-isolation alongside his family. He reported that he is suffering from mild symptoms, and urged others to practice social distancing to ensure safety from the pandemic.
Netflix later told Deadline that it is “arranging for deep cleaning and disinfection” of its production offices and Arborfield Studios. All productions are, therefore, being shut down. Cast and crew members are being recommended to remain in self-quarantine for two weeks at least.
This means that the release dates of many of the upcoming movies and TV shows will be pushed further in order to give more time for the respective productions to finish. It also means that we will have to wait some time for these shows to come out.
We already knew that season 2 of The Witcher would come out somewhere in early 2021, but with coronavirus directly impacting one of its own, the release date is expected to be pushed further. Meanwhile, other popular shows, including The Stranger Things, will also be delayed until the current pandemic situation settles down.
The coronavirus disruptions are happening at a pivotal moment in the streaming industry. While Netflix is on course to spend around $17.3 billion on original content by the end of this year, giants like HBO and Disney+ are also working hard to claim a large chunk of the streaming audience by the end of 2020.
HBO Max is currently busy developing Friends Reunion. Disney+ is working on many TV series of its own which included Wandavision and Stargirl. Like The Witcher, these productions will probably be delayed due to coronavirus.