Production in Los Angeles ground to a halt on January 8 as wildfires continued to devastate neighborhoods, including Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Sylmar. The fires have not only disrupted filming schedules but also caused significant delays to the entertainment industry’s awards season.
FilmLA, the permitting agency for Los Angeles productions, issued a notification stating: “Personnel resources ordinarily available to support film production may not be available during the local State of Emergency.” Furthermore, the agency noted that “the LA County Fire Department has specifically instructed that all permits issued for filming in the communities of Altadena, La Crescenta, La Canada/Flintridge and unincorporated Pasadena are withdrawn. Other permit revocations are possible.”
While most soundstages are outside the fire zones, dangerous air quality and restricted road access have severely impacted operations. NBCUniversal announced the suspension of production on several shows, including “Hacks,” “Loot,” “Ted,” “Suits: L.A.” and “Happy’s Place” with Reba McEntire. The company confirmed that its feature films remain unaffected as all are filming outside Los Angeles.
Amazon has postponed production on season two of “Fallout”, which had been filming in Santa Clarita, tentatively rescheduling it to Friday. Meanwhile, CBS Studios shut down multiple productions, including “NCIS,” “NCIS: Origins,” “After Midnight,” “Poppa’s House,” “The Neighborhood” and tapings for “After Midnight”, hosted by Taylor Tomlinson, through the end of the week.
Disney-20th has halted production on “Doctor Odyssey,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Warner Bros. also closed its Burbank studio lot due to the fires’ proximity, affecting “Abbott Elementary,” “All-American,” “The Pitt,” “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage”, and a project with Leanne Morgan, which were in various stages of production.
The fires have also disrupted awards season. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences delayed the announcement of this year’s Oscar nominations from January 17 to January 19. Voting for the nearly 10,000 Academy members, which opened on January 8, has been extended until January 14. Academy CEO Bill Kramer expressed condolences in a letter to members, saying: “We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California. So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.”
The Critics Choice Awards, originally scheduled for January 12 in Santa Monica, has been moved to January 26. Joey Berlin, CEO of the Critics Choice Association, stated: “This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community. All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected.”
Other events, such as the Bafta Tea Party, planned for January 11 at The Four Seasons Hotel, have been canceled entirely. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) nominations, originally set for January 9, have also been postponed.
Meanwhile, “Hacks” star Jean Smart has called on networks and streaming platforms to reconsider televising upcoming awards shows under the circumstances. She suggested broadcasters donate “the revenue they would have garnered to victims of the fires and the firefighters” instead.
More than 10,000 acres have burned in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu areas since the fires ignited on Tuesday morning, destroying hundreds of structures. In Altadena, north of Pasadena, another 10,000 acres have been scorched, with two fatalities reported.
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