Tyler Perry has announced plans to make his 330-acre Atlanta-based mega studio one of the first domestic filming grounds to re-open during the coronavirus pandemic. While Perry is looking to restart production in July, other studios in Georgia are anxiously waiting for Hollywood’s green light.
According to a statement released by the President of the sprawling Pinewood Studios, Mr. Frank Patterson, said “We’re taking the lead from our production partners; there’s no one place in the industry that’s making the decisions about when we get back to work,” he continued. “There are a lot of stakeholders, we’re working with the task forces of the studios and the guilds, unions and the associations”.
Some bigwigs in the industry are willing to take a risk, while others have a more careful stance.
“I think people are more willing to take the chance of getting sick than the chance of losing their house or getting behind on bills,” said Shauna Galligan, a veteran stunt double whose credits include “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Insurgent” and “The Walking Dead.” She is returning to work next month as a stunt coordinator for an independent film in Alabama. “I think everybody is ready to take that risk and get life back to normal”, she added.
The studio has been a home to big-budget films including “The Avengers: Endgame” and “Ant-Man” along with the television show “The Walking Dead”. In March, the entertainment industry shuttered productions because of safety concerns of the coronavirus pandemic. With Los Angeles County still under stay-at-home orders and production shutdown, some are looking to Georgia as a possible destination to film. In the last few years, Georgia has become known as the Hollywood of the South with a surge of film and TV productions companies and several studios.
