In addition to human lives, countless material damages have been reported as a result of the fires that started in Pacific Palisades and other parts of the city, which have already burned thousands of acres, along with homes and cars. Among the thousands affected, big Hollywood names are on the list of those who have lost their homes.
Some of these include Anthony Hopkins, Adam Brody, Paris Hilton, Jeff Bridges, and Billy Crystal. However, it’s not just celebrities who have been impacted, but also everyday people and many crew members working on film and television productions.
The fires prompted producers of the late-night Jimmy Kimmel show and the long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy to halt production. The nominations for the Academy Awards and the Writers Guild of America were also postponed, along with premieres of movies and series including Meghan Markle’s With Love, Meghan, Barking Action, Unstoppable, and Wolfman.
However, even as the fires continue to rage out of control, many scripted series that paused production in LA (including Grey’s Anatomy, 911, and Doctor Odyssey) have resumed filming in indoor studios, according to reports.
An article by The New York Times explained that Disney’s movie production operations, like the rest of Hollywood’s, have been almost completely unaffected. Disney has seen some ash fall on its Burbank lot, but no flames. Pixar and Lucasfilm, both owned by Disney, are based in Northern California.
Sony Pictures is located in Culver City, far from the fires, while Paramount Pictures and Netflix are in Hollywood, which is a 40-minute drive from the two main fires. The massive Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures lots are both located in the San Fernando Valley have also been untouched.
For the most part, live-action movies are no longer filmed in the L.A. due to the high costs. Instead, movie productions have moved to other states such as Georgia, New York, New Jersey, and New Mexico. Other countries, such as Great Britain and Australia, offer generous tax incentives that make this parts of the world way more suitable for filmmaking than L.A.
Only two movies from major studios were affected by the fires. Filming was halted on The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, a 20th Century Studios remake of the 1992 thriller, while the production of the third Avatar movie, also from 20th Century and owned by Disney, was briefly paused as well.
