WASHINGTON: Amid the worldwide surge of COVID-19 cases linked to the Omicron variant, award season galas, film festivals, Los Angeles premieres and Broadway shows are postponing or cancelling their in-person shows.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the AFI Awards, the BAFTA Tea Party and the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s awards gala were among the first in-person events cancelled as the industry grapples with yet another grim stretch of the ongoing pandemic.
The Hollywood Critics Association and Critics Choice Awards soon followed, each deciding to postpone their events (the 5th Annual HCA Film Awards ceremony until February 28), citing the rising number of positive cases linked to omicron.
The 12th annual Academy Governors Awards, which was set for January 15, has also been postponed, while Fox became the first network to cancel their planned New Year’s Eve show.
The Sundance Film Festival, an annual staple in Park City, Utah, has shifted to online only, with the variant surge expected to peak during the festival’s run from January 20 through January 30.
The Slamdance Film Festival has also decided to forgo the in-person portion of its hybrid event in Park City, which was scheduled to run January 20 to 23, and continue with the virtual portion of the program only, from January 27 to February 6. The new start date, a week later than planned, gives the festival time to shift to the online format.
The Grammy Awards, originally slated for January 31 in Los Angeles, have been postponed to a date still to be determined. And a handful of January Hollywood premieres — including for the latest movie in the ‘Scream’ franchise, Hulu’s upcoming ‘How I Met Your Father’ series and the ‘Peacemaker’ movie — have cancelled in-person red carpet events.
Live theatrical productions, including those in London’s West End, New York City’s Broadway district and throughout L.A., have been hit particularly hard with shows going dark.
Several Broadway productions cancelled performances during Christmas week, with ‘Jagged Little Pill’ and off-Broadway’s ‘Is There Still Sex in the City?’ closing their curtains for good. Eddie Redmayne’s ‘Cabaret’ revival in London took a temporary break, with performances having resumed in late December.
Below is a list of events that have been impacted by COVID-19:
ACE Eddie Awards
Scheduled date: March 5
Status: Switched to 50 per cent capacity in-person event
BroadwayCon
Scheduled to run: February 18-20, 2022
Status: Postponed to July 8-10, 2022
IDA Documentary Awards
Scheduled date: February 5
Status: Shifted from in-person to virtual event on March 4, voting period to determine winners extended as well
Grammy Awards Ceremony
Scheduled date: January 31
Status: Postponed, plans to be determined
Rotterdam Film Festival
Scheduled date: January 26
Status: Shifting from in-person to online
Sundance Film Festival
Scheduled dates: January 20-30
Status: Switched from in-person to online only
Slamdance Film Festival
Scheduled date: January 20
Status: In-person portion cancelled, online to begin January 27 and run to February 6
Governors Awards Ceremony
Scheduled date: January 15
Status: Postponed, plans to be determined
Cinema Eye Honors
Scheduled date: January 13
Status: Postponed, plans to be determined
Under the Radar Festival at New York City’s The Public Theater
Scheduled to run: January 12 through January 30
Status: Canceled (December 31)
Skeleton Crew
Scheduled to run: January 12 with no plans to close
Status: Postponed, plans to be determined
Hulu’s How I Met Your Father L.A. Premiere
Scheduled date: January 12
Status: Canceled
Paramount Pictures’ Scream L.A. Premiere
Scheduled: January 11
Status: Canceled
National Board of Review Gala in New York City
Scheduled date: January 11
Status: Postponed, plans to be determined
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Ceremony
Scheduled date: January 10
Status: Postponed, plans to be determined
Critics Choice Awards
Scheduled date: January 9
Status: Postponed, plans to be determined
BAFTA Tea Party
Scheduled date: January 8
Status: Canceled
HCA Film Awards Ceremony
Scheduled date: January 8
Status: Postponed for February 28
Peacemaker premiere in L.A.
Scheduled date: January 8
Status: Canceled
AFI Awards
Scheduled date: January 7
Status: Postponed, plans to be determined
Palm Springs International Film Festival and Awards Gala
Scheduled date: January 7 through January 17; January 6
Status: Canceled
Dune Home Entertainment Release Party in L.A.
Scheduled date: January 4
Status: Canceled
The Book of Boba Fett Special Screening at L.A.’s El Capitan Theatre
Scheduled date: January 4
Status: Canceled
Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022
Scheduled date: December 31
Status: Canceled
Is There Still Sex in the City?
Scheduled to run: December 7, 2021, through February 6, 2022
Status: Closed early (December 22)
Mrs. Doubtfire
Scheduled to run: December 5, 2021, with no plans to close
Status: Postponed, plans to reopen March 15
A Christmas Carol at L.A.’s Ahmanson Theatre
Scheduled to run: December 1, 2021, through January 1, 2022
Status: Closed early (December 15)
Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes
Scheduled to run: November 2, 2021, through January 2, 2022
Status: Closed early (December 16)
Jagged Little Pill
Scheduled to run: October 21, 2021, with no plans to close
Status: Closed early (December 17)
Ain’t Too Proud
Scheduled to run: October 16, 2021, with no plans to close
Status: Closed early (January 16)
Thoughts of a Colored Man
Scheduled to run: October 13, 2021, through March 13, 2022
Status: Closed early (December 22)
Waitress
Scheduled to run: September 2, 2021, through January 9, 2022
Status: Closed early (December 20)
Additionally, the filming of Paramount plus drama ‘Star Trek: Picard’ has been paused since Monday after more than 50 crew members tested positive for COVID-19. (ANI)
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