Covid-19 has been the elephant in the room for a while now when it comes to film production. It's the reason many film/TV productions have been halted, including the final season of fan-favorite CW show SUPERNATURAL. However, it looks like fortunes for it (and many productions relying on shooting in Vancouver) may have changed, as production is hoping to start up again later this month or next.
However, it will still be a slow process, as according to WorkSafeBC:
Employers are required to develop a COVID-19 Safety Plan that outlines the policies, guidelines, and procedures they have put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission…Employers must involve frontline workers, joint health and safety committees, and supervisors in identifying protocols for their workplace. [Furthermore]You do not need a formal plan in place to begin operation, but are expected to develop it while protecting the safety of your workers.
There is speculation that production won't start until after July 1’s "Canada Day" – and there are still some strict rules about traveling back-and-forth between the US and Canada, as well as increased difficulty in acquiring official work permits from the government due to fears of infection – but as Deadline points out, the film industry in Vancouver, BC is "an industry that feeds more than $2 billion USD into the BC economy annually, with around 70,000 direct jobs that have been shuttered since the lockdown began in March", so some "wiggle room" is expected to happen to let production finally start rolling again.
Meanwhile, no official start or release date for SUPERNATURAL's final season, but we'll keep you updated!
But what do you guys think? Any fans of SUPERNATURAL? And if so, excited for the final season, or are you willing to wait longer if it meant sets were more safe? Either way, sound off below!