Robert Pattinson has been tested positive for COVID-19, the infection caused by the new coronavirus that has so far killed more than 873,000 people globally.
His COVID-19 diagnosis has halted the production of “The Batman” at studios outside London, according to two people with knowledge of the production.
On Thursday, Warner Bros. confirmed in a statement that filming was “temporarily paused” and “a member of ‘The Batman’ production has tested positive for Covid-19, and is isolating in accordance with established protocols.”
However, Warner Bros. declined to comment after the statement they issued. The news was first reported by Vanity Fair on Thursday.
In the Batman role, Pattinson, 34, plays a young Bruce Wayne early in his career as the DC comic-book vigilante.
The film’s production work was shut down in March due to the pandemic, staggering the entire entertainment industry. The production began in September 2019.
In April, Matt Reeves, the director and writer of The Batman, told The New York Times that it was “quite surreal” to halt production by a global pandemic.
However, months later, big movie studios shifted their focus to overseas shooting as the infection rates kept surging in California.
The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed the process of moviemaking.
When the “Jurassic World: Dominion” production resumed, the actor Bryce Dallas Howard told The Times, “In order to get any of us on a plane, we had to thoroughly understand the protocols, who was involved and hear second and third opinions. We are the guinea pigs who are going to take the leap.”
The news of Pattinson’s positive COVID-19 test came a day after Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, announced on Instagram that he and his family were tested positive for the virus about three weeks ago.
Johnson, 48, said, “I can tell you that this has been one of the most challenging and difficult things we have ever had to endure as a family. And for me personally, too, as well, and I’ve gone through some doozies in the past.” “But I am happy to tell you guys that we as a family are good,” he added. “We are on the other end of it. We are on the other side. We are no longer contagious. And we are — thank god — we are healthy.”
