How the Coronavirus Is Affecting the Entertainment Industry

This post will be updated daily with additional cancellations, postponements, and the other ways in which COVID-19 is affecting entertainment. Last updated: July 7, 9:01 a.m.

Life RN:

COVID-19 — commonly referred to as the coronavirus — is leading to rapid changes all around us. The pop culture industry has been affected in unique ways, with major comic and entertainment conventions being canceled, productions being halted, and films and TV shows stopping production. Basically, this year is canceled. See all of the pop culture goodness we cannot enjoy for the foreseeable future below!

Conventions

Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC): SDCC is officially canceled. It’s the first time the entertainment event has been canceled in the con’s 50-year history.
Almost every convention through June has been impacted in some way. For the more niche ones you’ve been secretly waiting for check out this giant fan-made list of everything that has been postponed or canceled. Before you click: yes, it is very depressing.
Anime Expo: The California-based anime convention previously scheduled for July is canceled. The Expo will return from July 2-5, 2021.
E3: E3 was officially canceled in a statement on its website. Originally scheduled for June 9-11, the producers behind the video game trade show are looking for ways to move the showcase online.
Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC): ECCC will go on at an undetermined date, according to a statement released by Reedpop. Fans of the event and companies that were set to participate in ECCC came out in full force to put on a virtual con instead, with digital events scheduled on Twitch and social media using the hashtag #ECCCOnline. An official list of the 70-plus Artist Alley creators who were affected is also online if fans want to show some support. Update: ECCC will now take place from Aug. 22-23.
Ace Comic Con: Ace Comic Con’s official Twitter account announced that the Boston-based event would be postponed since a state of emergency was declared in Massachusetts.
CinemaCon: The largest gathering of movie theater owners is canceled, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. The group behind CinemaCon announced in a statement that a “significant portion of the worldwide motion picture community” would not be able to attend the event after President Donald Trump’s European travel ban.
RuPaul’s DragCon: Stating that no one can know what will be happening in May, producers of the annual drag queen convention have decided to cancel and are working on issuing full refunds. UPDATE: RuPaul was right, we still have no idea what’s going on.
Game Developers Conference: The gathering of famous video game creators will not go on as planned. The conference is expected to continue sometime during the summer, the staff behind the event wrote in a statement. UPDATE: Informa Tech announced that the Game Developers Conference will take place from Aug. 4-6.
WonderCon: Comic-Con International, the organizer of the California-based convention, is following the California Department of Public Health’s recommendation that gatherings of more than 250 people should be postponed or canceled, it wrote in a statement. It will postpone the event scheduled for April 10-12 until a later date. UPDATE: WonderCon’s website added an online exhibit hall to bring fans the virtual con experience. Check it out here.
Licensing Expo: The world’s largest licensing trade show has been rescheduled from May to Aug. 11-13, according to a statement from InformaMarkets, the company behind the expo. Read more here. UPDATE: Licensing Expo will not take place this year. Instead, Global Licensing Group and Licensing International will offer Licensing Week Virtual from June 15-19.
BookCon, originally scheduled to be held in May at the Jacob K. Javits Center, the literary event has been moved to July 25-26. UPDATE: Just kidding, it’s canceled.
VidCon is canceled, General Manager Jim Louderback said in a statement. He says they are looking for a way to offer a VidCon U.S. experience in the fall, but the official event will not go on from June 17-20.
Dragon Con, which is scheduled for Sept. 2-7 in Atlanta, still plans to go on as scheduled. According to a Facebook update, the team is continuing to monitor the situation and is reevaluating the con’s refund/roll forward policy for those who do not wish to attend.
The Heroes Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina is canceled.
If the force is with us, then Star Wars Celebration will go on as scheduled in August. The team behind the event is monitoring California’s changing guidelines and will make a decision in the upcoming weeks. UPDATE: The dark side has won. the Star Wars Celebration is canceled, to return in 2022 — find more info here.
MegaCon Orlando from June 4-7 is still scheduled to happen because Florida. UPDATE: MegaCon has been canceled for this year, but there will be a “limited edition” version of the con from Oct. 30 – Nov. 1.
Power-Con: The fan convention for all things Masters of the Universe has been canceled for this year. The con is set to return next year, with sales and other online content to come for this year.
Gen Con: Both Gen Con and its pop-up con events have been (you guessed it) canceled. Originally set for July 30–Aug. 2 in Indianapolis, the tabletop gaming convention will provide online programming this year for the same days.
The first Burning Cat Convention is canceled. We’re not kitten.

Live Events

Yu-Gi-Oh Championship Series: The gathering of trading-card-game players in North Carolina was postponed indefinitely. Konami says it continues to monitor the situation for other upcoming events.
Coachella: The annual gathering of influencers (and musicians) has been postponed until October, according to a tweet from Coachella. UPDATE: Just when you thought things were coming back — Coachella and Stagecoach are both canceled, says the public health officer for Riverside County in a tweet.
SXSW: The Austin-based music and tech conference and festival known as South by Southwest was shut down by the city, the people behind the event wrote in a statement. They say they are currently looking into a digital alternative or new dates sometime in the future.
Broadway: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed Broadway to suspend all performances effective immediately, according to a press release from The Broadway League. The statement says that performances will begin again on April 13. UPDATE: The Broadway League extended its suspension of shows until June 7, the group said in a press release. UPDATE: The Broadway League is now saying theaters are closed indefinitely and it’s offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased through Sept. 6. UPDATE: Broadway League now says Broadway will stay dark until 2021. The expected opening date is now Jan. 3.
TCM Classic Film Festival: TCM host Ben Mankiewicz announced in a video that the festival would not go on and everyone who planned to attend will receive full refunds.
Tribeca Film Festival: The prestigious film festival slated for April 15-26 was postponed after New York-governor, Andrew Cuomo, banned gatherings in New York of more than 500 people, Jane Rosenthal co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises says in a statement.
Tours & residencies canceled: Every single one — okay almost. Some of the big artists postponing or canceling their shows are Billie Eilish, Elton John, and the Jonas Brothers — what a man gotta do … is stay indoors.
Record Store Day: You’ll have to wait two months longer to get your hands on some exclusive vinyl. Record Store Day will now take place on June 20 instead of April 18. UPDATE: Record Store Day exclusives will be split between three dates: Aug. 29, Sept. 26, and Oct. 24.
The Met Gala: The biggest fashion night of the year did not take place on May 4 as planned. There is no word yet on the new date.
Movie Theaters: After initially agreeing to reduce capacity, all Regal, AMC, and Alamo Drafthouse theaters across the U.S. are taking a (hopefully) brief intermission. Each closed its doors indefinitely to abide by the new government standards of no gatherings of 10 or more. UPDATE: Cinemark is closed as well.
WrestleMania 36 and the events surrounding it in Tampa Bay, Florida, didn’t go on. Fans can still catch wrestling events on WWE Network through pay-per-view. Only essential personnel are allowed in the building rn while they film because wrestling definitely can’t spread COVID-19 — right?
Las Vegas: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. So the governor of Nevada is making sure nothing happens at casinos until further notice.
Glastonbury Festival: The people behind the five-day British music festival have canceled its 50th-anniversary event planned for the end of June.
Edinburgh International Film Festival: Originally intended to go on at the end of June, the 74th Edinburgh International Film Festival is postponed indefinitely.
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is rescheduled to Sept. 24-27, the team behind it says.
Free Comic Book Day did not happen on May 2 as originally planned, Diamond Comic Distributors stated in a press release. The group is looking to move the annual comic event to some time in the summer.
Cannes Festival: Say “au revoir” to the Cannes Festival. According to an official statement, the international film festival will not take place from May 12-23 as planned. The team is exploring the option of rescheduling the festival, possibly to later this summer. UPDATE: The organizers behind the event said in a press release that it is “clearly difficult to assume” that the event will go on at all this year.
The Void: Even virtual reality is being impacted. All locations of The Void are closed indefinitely.
Fathom Events: Many of the special screenings are canceled or postponed, including Steven Universe: The Movie Sing-A-Long Event.
Firefly Music Festival is canceled.
Gov Ball: The NYC music festival due to take place in June is canceled. The Gov Ball team says in its statement that due to logistical issues it cannot be postponed to another date and all tickets will be refunded.
NYC Pride: New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio canceled all large events in the city throughout June, effectively canceling what would have been the 50th anniversary of the pride parade.
Oktoberfest 2020: The more than 6 million people who generally attend Germany’s annual beer festival will have to find somewhere else to wear their lederhosen — it is canceled.

Movie Releases

No Time to Die: The James Bond flick was one of the first to be postponed in a statement from producers. Fans will have to wait until November for the latest 007-action film.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway: Originally set for an April 3 release, the CGI-film will now come out on Aug. 7, according to Variety.
A Quiet Place 2: John Krasinksi posted a statement on Instagram that he will release the film when “we CAN all see it together.”
F9: The latest installment of the Fast and Furious franchise will be delayed until next year, a tweet from the official account wrote.
Mulan: The latest live-action Disney remake is rescheduled for July 24.
New Mutants: Disney also pushed back the release date for this Marvel Comics-inspired film, which was finally expected to land in theaters on April 3 via 20th Century Studios after many, many delays.
Black Widow: Our favorite Russian spy turned Avenger cannot catch a break — but before I get off on a tangent about Endgame, Hollywood Reporter says that the film will not premiere on May 1 as planned. It’s now set to open on Nov. 6.
- The delay of Black Widow has set off a chain reaction in the delayed release of other Marvel films. Here are the dates we know: Eternals – Feb. 12, 2021; Shang-Chi – May 7, 2021; Thor: Love and Thunder – Feb. 18, 2022; Doctor Strange 2 – March. 25, 2022; Black Panther 2 remains on its release date of May 6, 2022; and Captain Marvel 2 will move to July 8, 2022.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw: Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson star in the terrifying reboot of Saw, *but* Lionsgate has pulled the movie from its May 15 release date, Bloody Disgusting reports.
Minions: The Rise of Gru: The next installment in the Despicable Me universe is no longer set to hit theaters in July, Deadline reports. Illumination’s Paris Studio has closed temporarily due to COVID-19, which will prevent them from completing the movie in time.
Wonder Woman 1984 will premiere on Aug. 14 instead of its intended date of June 5, Deadline reports. UPDATE: Wonder Woman 1984 will premiere on Oct. 2.
In the same article, Deadline stated that In the Heights, Scoob!, and Malignant will all also be postponed but future dates aren’t known at this time. UPDATE: Scoob! skipped it’s theatrical release and is now available to rent or purchase digitally. In the Heights has a new theatrical release date for next summer: June 18, 2021.
Fox’s Free Guy will come out on Dec. 11 instead of July 1.
Every 2020 Sony Productions release: In an industry-shaking move, Sony pushed all of this year’s releases to next year, Variety reports. Films affected include Morbius, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and an unnamed Marvel Project. UPDATE: Good news: The unnamed Marvel project is the Venom sequel titled Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Terrible, terrible news: It will not premiere until June of next year.
Following the push in Sony’s films, The third Spider-Man: Homecoming will be released on Nov. 5 of next year.
Artemis Fowl is skipping theaters and will release on Disney+ this summer.
Disney and Pixar’s Soul will be pushed back to a theatrical release of Nov. 20 instead of June 19.
Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon will come out on March 12, 2021 instead of Nov. 25.
The latest Transformers film will be a little late — June 24, 2022 to be exact.
Godzilla vs. Kong will hit theaters on May 21 of next year, the premiere of Matrix 4 is delayed another year until April 1, 2022, and No Time to Die moves up its release five days to debut on Nov. 20 this fall, according to Hollywood Reporter.

Entertainment Production

At this point, it would be easier to list what hasn’t been pulled than what has. Every day more and more movies and TV shows are shutting down filming in order to protect their workers. Check out some of the more notable films and series that have been impacted below.

Movies
- The Batman: There’s a chance we might have to wait longer to see Battinson. The UK production of The Batman paused production indefinitely, Variety reports.
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Marvel and Disney suspended production of the martial arts hero film after director Destin Daniel Cretton chose to go into isolation while awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
- The Little Mermaid: The live-action film has halted production, along with several Disney films, such as Home Alone and Peter Pan & Wendy.
- Jurassic World: Dominion: “Life will not be contained. Life breaks free,” says the OG Jurassic Park character Dr. Malcom. Trust Jeff Goldblum that life will continue despite Jurassic World: Dominion paused filming.
- Fantastic Beasts 3: Variety reports that the Harry Potter prequel did not begin filming on March 16 as previously planned.
TV Shows
- Loki, WandaVision: Marvel Studios is pausing production on the long-awaited Disney+ series, multiple outlets report.
- Supernatural: The 15th and (finally) final season of Supernatural has suspended filming, which means it might not be able to wrap up in time for the planned date of the last episode, Deadline says. I am beginning to believe the Winchester brothers could have had something to do with this virus. I mean how many times did they release an apocalypse on the world?
- The Walking Dead: Deadline reports that Fear the Walking Dead, as well as the 11th season of The Walking Dead, have both taken a three-week hiatus on filming. If you fear missing out on the apocalyptic themes, I suggest trying to buy toilet paper from your local target.
- Stranger Things: Deadline reports that all Netflix scripted series have stopped production in the U.S. and Canada, including the fourth season of Stranger Things.
- Riverdale: The teen-drama was one of the first to take a hiatus when a “team member” was confirmed to have COVID-19, Deadline reports. After Warner Bros. Media Group shut down all production, it was joined by the CW’s Batwoman, The Flash, and Supergirl, as well as shows for CBS, TNT, OWN, and HBO Max, the outlet says.
- The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: A shoot in Prague for the Disney+ series ended early after the city put restrictions on travel — find more info in our previous post.
- Carnival Row: According to an Instagram stories video posted by actor Orlando Bloom, filming for the second season of the Amazon series shut down in Prague and the cast is headed home before the European travel ban took effect.
- The Morning Show: All Apple series currently filming have been put on hold, according to Deadline.
- Euphoria: WarnerMedia Entertainment (owner of HBO, HBO Max, TNT, TBS, and TruTV) suspended production on its series, Deadline says. This includes Euphoria, Snowpiercer, and The Righteous Gemstones.
- CBS: Deadline reports that several CBS dramas have stopped filming, including NCIS, Dynasty, and The Good Fight.
- Friends Reunion: The planned special for HBO Max is going on a break. It will not film until at least May, Variety confirmed. I am starting a petition to bring the whole series back to Netflix while we wait.
Off Air
- - Pretty much all late-night and daytime talk shows have paused indefinitely, after initially agreeing to put the show on without an audience. The list includes The Ellen Degeneres Show, Last Week Tonight, and The Late Late Show with James Cameron. UPDATE: Many late-night hosts are now filming some wholesome (and hilarious) content from their homes. Check out Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee, and Jimmy Kimmel for some much-needed laughs.
  - Eurovision Song Contest 2020 has been canceled by the European Broadcasting Union in a video statement.
  - The Walking Dead: World Beyond will come “later this year.”
  - The Walking Dead season 10 finale will not air until late this year, due to post-production delays. Instead, this season will end after its 15th episode and the finale will premiere sometime in the future.

Award Ceremonies

2020 Tony Awards: Broadway’s biggest night will not happen on June 7, according to Tony Award Productions. The company states it’s looking forward to celebrating Broadway at a later date.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Originally scheduled for May 2, the induction ceremony will now take place on Nov. 7 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced.
The Daytime Emmys will no longer take place this June. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is exploring alternative options for recognizing honorees later this year. The Sports Emmys and Tech Emmys are also postponed.
Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards: Deadline reports that the event scheduled for March 22 was postponed until a later time for the “well-being of every person involved with the show.”
The ACM Awards will now take place in September instead of on April 5, according to a statement from The Acadamy of Country Music.
Golden Globes: The 2021 event is *not* canceled! The Hollywood Foreign Press Association will be switching things up though. Variety reports that films will no longer have to be screened at a third-party facility and deadlines have been opened to include movies that had planned theater dates during the specified time.
The Billboard Music Awards slated for April 29 will go on at a later time, Billboard says.
The 2021 Academy Awards are switching things up as well. Movies that have not been released in theaters are now going to be accepted as candidates for an award, says Variety. Still, the films are required to have had planned a theatrical release and when cinemas open back up the rule will be reversed. UPDATE: It’s official — 93rd Oscars Ceremony is postponed, according to a press release. The event will still go on, but on April 25 instead of Feb. 28. The Academy Awards also extended its eligibility periods, allowing films released beyond the typical deadlines a chance to be considered.

Theme Parks

Disneyland and Walt Disney World: All Disney parks are closed indefinitely. UPDATE: Walt Disney World has just released plans to reopen on July 11. UPDATE: Disneyland is planning to reopen on July 17, with the Downtown Disney District opening on July 9.
Universal Studios: Universal has extended its Hollywood and Orlando locations’ closures through “at least” May 31, its website says.
Legoland locations in the U.S. are closed until further notice.
Seaworld theme parks are temporarily closed or will have delayed season openings.
Six Flags amusement parks are temporarily closed or will have delayed season openings.

Museums, Studio Tours, & Shops

Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Burbank, California-based tour for all things Warner Bros. has temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution. There is currently no word on when it will reopen.
Smithsonian: All Smithsonian museums in New York City and Washington D.C., as well as the National Zoo in Washington D.C., closed on March 14 and will be reevaluated every two weeks, according to the Smithsonian’s website.
Comic-Con Museum Events: The parent company of the Comic-Con Museum and Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) will reschedule all currently scheduled at the Comic-Con Museum, it said in an emailed statement.
Disney: All Disney shops in North America closed on March 17. The online store remains open if your panic shopping involves anything Mickey Mouse themed.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter is closed indefinitely.
BoxLunch, Hot Topic: Both fandom-fueled stores are closed until March 30, but each stressed that they will still be paying employees during this time. UPDATE: The stores are now closed until further notice. There’s no longer any word on their websites about employees. UPDATE: Some stores are reopening — check here for your local Hot Topic.
After being one of the first to shut-down all retail locations, Apple stores are beginning to open again.
All 28 Newbury Comics comic book shops are closed through April 4, but its online store remains open. UPDATE: Some shops are reopening in New Hampshire — stay updated on your local shop her e.
Super7 collectible shops in San Fransisco and San Diego are closed. Despite some possible transit delays, its online shop is open.
San Diego Comics, a local comic shop that has been open in San Diego for more than 25 years, will permanently close its doors due to the COVID-19 shutdown.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures due to open on Dec. 14, will now have a tentative opening day of April 30 of next year.

Sports

Olympics 2020: After countries began to pull out of the competition, officials made the decision to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, a member of the Veteran International Olympic Committee (IOC) told USA Today. This is, by far, the biggest impact on the sports world, and the IOC could take up to a month to decide the next steps, the outlet reports. UPDATE: It’s official: The Olympic Games will not take place this summer and will most likely take place next year, the IOC said in a statement on Tuesday. UPDATE: The games will be held from July 23-Aug. 8 next year, the IOC says.
MLB: The upcoming baseball season will have a delayed start, Minor League Baseball tweeted. Information on when it will begin will come at a later date.

NHL: The NHL tweeted from its official account that it paused its current season.
NCAA March Madness: Despite plans to continue the playoff games with only essential staff and limited family attending, the NCAA ultimately canceled all remaining winter and spring championship games via a tweeted statement.
Stern Pro Circuit 2019-20 Championships: The pinball championship is postponed until a later date, according to an email from Stern Pinball. Tickets will be transferable to the new date, the email says.
NBA: After a player on the Utah Jazz team tested positive for COVID-19, the NBA announced that it would suspend all games until further notice.
Boston Marathon: The 124th Boston Marathon was rescheduled from April 20 until Sept. 14, the Boston Athletic Association wrote in a statement.
PGA: Golf championships the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals were all postponed, according to a statement from Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club.
EURO 2020 has been postponed by one year, the UEFA states.
The Championships Wimbledon: The iconic tennis tournament will not go on until next year, says the team behind the event.

The Good News

Frozen 2: “Some things stay the same. Though the future remains unknown.” The fact that we love Disney will never change. Learn more about the surprise release here.
Lin Manuel Miranda dropped a previously unheard song from Hamilton
NBCUniversal released Trolls World Tour digitally at the same it was meant to hit theaters. It also released all Universal Pictures films that were currently in theaters (The Hunt, Emma, and The Invisible Man) digitally.
Birds of Prey flew into our homes digitally in early April. This is extremely early, but everything Harley Quinn does is extreme.
Bloodshot, the Vin Diesel superhero flick, will be available digitally on March 24.
Onward became available to buy digitally after March 20 *and* on Disney+ on April 3. Read more here!
Sonic the Hedgehog also sped into homes early — find it digitally now.
Take more reading home with the British Library’s Harry Potter exhibition online. Fans can discover the history behind Hogwarts, dive into Defense Against the Dark Arts, and learn about dragon eggs! Check it out here.
The Call of The Wild and Downhill are available to purchase digitally!
Subscriptions to the print version of the Pop Insider (that’s us!) are free until June 1. Read more about it here!
John Krasinski launched a video series titled Some Good News. It’s everything.
Humble Bundle is offering a Conquer COVID-19 package that features more than $1,000 worth of games and ebooks for $30 for a limited time. All proceeds of the bundle go to organizations that are fighting the coronavirus. UPDATE: The sale is over, but reportedly raised more than $6 million.
The Bandai Foundation is donating $55,000 to support Second Harvest Food Bank and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Orange County, California.
DC donated $250,000 to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc)’s Comic Book United Fund, which helps local comic book stores in difficult times. Fans who want to donate to the fund can do so here.
Fans can enter to win tickets to the upcoming Friends reunion by donating through Fanatic’s All in Challenge. The more you donate, the more chances you get to win! All donations go to Feeding America, Meals On Wheels, World Central Kitchen and No Kid Hungry.
Wizards of the Coast is offering free Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering virtual play materials for 2,000 educators and librarians. Visit this page to get more information and request these materials. For the general public, D&D is encouraging everyone to “Stay at home, play at home” with free daily resources for players of all ages.
Play! Pokémon announced an online tournament for players to compete against each other virtually — find the info here.