The Batman is attempting to re-start production after Robert Pattinson’s positive COVID test, and all fingers are crossed on that note, although the current situation in the U.K., where Matt Reeves is filming is… not great. However, filmmaker Tyler Perry — recently recognized by Forbes after reaching a $1 billion net worth — is keeping his usual tight ship running (the same one that cranked out what feels like a zillion Madea movies) with added pandemic precautions.
This week, as Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reveals, Perry’s time has included wrapping production on Ruthless, a BET+ drama series that spins off The Oval series. He then swiftly moved onto taping fresh episodes of his BET+comedy series, Bruh. This is all happening in Atlanta, which has wrestled with our current situation like much of the South, but it’s all happening because of a strict bubble:
Perry employs a quarantine bubble model, sequestering cast and crew on the lot for the duration of a shoot. The production follows a 30-page document that outlines the plan in great detail. It involves check-in testing as cast and crew arrive at the studio, with everyone staying in their rooms until test results come back.
Perry isn’t messing around! This plan hasn’t gone off without a hitch, however. Perry revealed to Deadline that initial check-in procedure for his Sistas series turned up four positive COVID tests (among crew members and extras), but since no one had been allowed to congregate at that point, the situation was swiftly contained. The key appears to be keeping people in rooms until they have an all-clear test, and while it sounds simple, there’s undoubtedly a lot of coordination involved. Much like the NBA model, this is probably the only close-to-surefire way to get things done on a Hollywood scale, probably for the rest of the year.