In an effort to reinvigorate the British film industry following the pandemic, the government has announced that major Hollywood stars will be exempt from quarantine regulations.
Oliver Dowden, the UK’s culture secretary, has said that the move will also cover sporting events such as the British Grand Prix, and production of films such as Mission Impossible 7. In a statement he noted that: “any such individuals will be required to remain for 14 days within a ‘bubble’ that includes only their place of accommodation and production location”.
He continued that: “We want the industry to bounce back and exempting small numbers of essential cast and crew from quarantine is part of our continued commitment to getting cameras rolling safely again.”
Production on Mission Impossible 7 is due to restart in September, following the shutdown of the set in February as a result of the pandemic. The Batman, Fantastic Beasts 3, and The Witcher were also shut down prior to the countrywide lockdown.
Chief executive of the British Film Institute, Ben Roberts, praised the decision, saying: “Film and television are worth £9.9 billion to the UK economy and being able to get production back up and running as quickly as possible is going to help our industry and its 77,000 production workers contribute to the UK’s economic recovery.”
The announcement follows the government’s publication of guidelines to enable the film industry to safely resume production. It includes strict rules on social distancing and the introduction of temperature tests, in addition to safety training.
