EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has halted Bridgerton’s Season 2 shoot for the second time in a week after another positive Covid test hit the wildly popular Regency-era drama, Deadline can reveal.
We hear that Netflix has paused production for an indefinite period of time as the streamer and producers at Shondaland establish a timetable for a safe return amid the Delta variant of coronavirus surging across the UK.
Netflix declined to comment on whether it was a cast or crew member who has contracted the virus, though the indefinite length of the hiatus will lead to speculation that it could be an actor. Either way, the individual is now isolating.
Bridgerton was last halted for 24 hours on Thursday after a crew member tested positive. Production got back underway yesterday, but filming has been brought to a sharp halt again today.
Netflix carries out proactive testing on its series and Bridgerton’s brush with Covid is a reminder that TV and film shoots need to remain vigilant, particularly as new variants find faster ways to spread through the population.
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Nearly 52,000 people tested positive for coronavirus in England on Friday, while there were 49 deaths. Despite the rise of the virus, the UK government is pushing ahead with reopening the country on Monday, when all legal restrictions on social contact will be removed.
Bridgerton is produced in the UK by Shondaland through the production vehicle Household Pictures. It makes use of some of the country’s grandest stately homes to tell the story of Julia Quinn’s bestselling novels.
Season 1 was a sensation, becoming Netflix’s biggest ever series after it was watched by a record 82 million households around the world. The show was also nominated for 12 Emmy Awards this week.