Hollywood is seeing a wave of staff reductions from the corporate suites to the theme park turnstiles as entertainment giants including the Walt Disney Co. and Endeavor implement layoffs and furloughs in response to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.
Just how bad is the carnage? In Los Angeles County alone, 14,000 entertainment-related workers saw their jobs evaporate in less than two months, according to a new report from tech news outlet dot.LA. Meanwhile, Tinseltown could see even more bloodshed in the second quarter, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Endeavor — the largest Hollywood talent agency, as well as a studio — recently said that it will lay off or furlough up to a third of its staff. Disney has furloughed more than 100,000 employees worldwide, mostly in the company’s parks division.
Hollywood has been hit on multiple fronts, including the closure of cinemas and the suspension of live sports, which is usually a cash cow for broadcasters. The L.A. office of Fox Sports Productions saw 3,595 people temporarily laid off at the end of April, according to dot.LA.
Halima Salman convicted of receiving ISIS military training in Syria, faces 10 years in prison
Harley-Davidson’s Decade-Long Electric Motorcycle Initiative Has Turned Disastrous
Rock Legend Donnie Iris Dies Less Than Three Weeks After Retiring from Performing
Federal officials identify 400 noncitizens registered to vote in Washington state: ‘Tip of the iceberg’
Cassidy Hutchinson avoids indictment after DOJ effort to charge her over Jan 6 testimony fails: sources
Man accused of threatening to hijack United flight says it was a drunken joke
Watch: Outrageous Pro-El-Sayed Ad Blames Jewish State for Raising Price of Bananas, Eggs in Michigan
Haitian illegal immigrant charged in Walmart killing entered US via Biden parole program: DHS
Flavio Bolsonaro to be issued visa by State Department after fleeing Brazil
Right-Wing Presidential Candidate Flavio Bolsonaro Secretly Flees Brazil for US After Disputed Election: Report
Luxury real estate brothers sentenced to 30 years in prison for yearslong sex-trafficking scheme
Judge who apologized to accused would-be Trump assassin lights up DOJ in Hunter Biden FBI case
Jordanian Military Goes After Targets in Syria in Response to Terrorists Killing Christians
‘Beloved’ daredevils who scaled Empire State Building inching toward deal after proposal stunt: attorney
Judge slams federal prosecutors over new charges against ex-FBI officials
Some of the biggest job losses have come from the production sector, which consists of below-the-line crew members who typically toil year round on crowded movie and TV sets. Hollywood’s trade unions have seen their members idle without work as soundstages around the country remain empty.
Breitbart News reported last week that Hollywood studios are currently working on ways to make sets safe when production ultimately resumes. While no major studio has yet to announce a timetable, one source told Breitbart that U.S. production may resume in June at the earliest.
But L.A. County’s decision to prolong its stay-at-home order for an additional three months is only creating more uncertainty.
Tyler Perry recently announced that his Atlanta studio will resume limited production in July. Countries including New Zealand, Poland, the Czech Republic have also announced that shooting can resume.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that individual studios are remaining vague about potential future layoffs. But some executives have spoken about coronavirus-related cost savings.
Halima Salman convicted of receiving ISIS military training in Syria, faces 10 years in prison
Harley-Davidson’s Decade-Long Electric Motorcycle Initiative Has Turned Disastrous
Rock Legend Donnie Iris Dies Less Than Three Weeks After Retiring from Performing
Federal officials identify 400 noncitizens registered to vote in Washington state: ‘Tip of the iceberg’
Cassidy Hutchinson avoids indictment after DOJ effort to charge her over Jan 6 testimony fails: sources
Man accused of threatening to hijack United flight says it was a drunken joke
Watch: Outrageous Pro-El-Sayed Ad Blames Jewish State for Raising Price of Bananas, Eggs in Michigan
Haitian illegal immigrant charged in Walmart killing entered US via Biden parole program: DHS
Flavio Bolsonaro to be issued visa by State Department after fleeing Brazil
Right-Wing Presidential Candidate Flavio Bolsonaro Secretly Flees Brazil for US After Disputed Election: Report
Luxury real estate brothers sentenced to 30 years in prison for yearslong sex-trafficking scheme
Judge who apologized to accused would-be Trump assassin lights up DOJ in Hunter Biden FBI case
Jordanian Military Goes After Targets in Syria in Response to Terrorists Killing Christians
‘Beloved’ daredevils who scaled Empire State Building inching toward deal after proposal stunt: attorney
Judge slams federal prosecutors over new charges against ex-FBI officials
ViacomCBS has indicated that it will take more cost-cutting steps in addition to the ones already realized from the re-merger of Viacom and CBS.
Chief financial officer Christina Spade said the company was “taking additional cost-cutting actions and implementing initiatives to reduce discretionary expenses” amid the pandemic. “We are learning from this crisis and finding ways that we can operate more efficiently,” she said during a recent earnings call.
Meanwhile, Disney has begun the gradual process of re-opening its theme parks and resorts. Disney Springs in Orlando is set to partially re-open on May 20, though the adjacent Walt Disney World remains closed. Shanghai Disney Resort recently opened again with visitors required to take special precautions, including social distancing and masks.
Story cited here.
