Reddish flames dangerously threaten the boulevard of stars, the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The scene is apocalyptic. This Thursday, January 9, blazes galvanized by hot squalls continue their inexorable advance in Los Angeles County. Five fires have raged there since Tuesday, killing at least five people, destroying thousands of homes and straining water supplies. In total, more than 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate.
On the side of the illustrious cinema district, the lights have moved closer to the “Hollywood” signs which sit on Mount Lee, notes CBS News. The letters are caught in a thick cloud of smoke but have not, for the moment, been reached by the flames. The fire also spread to other iconic locations, such as the Hollywood Bowl outdoor theater, the historic stage of the TCL Chinese Theater, and the Dolby Theater where the Oscars take place.
As the fire continued its route to the Hollywood Hills, where preparations for the prestigious ceremony scheduled for early March were taking place, the organizers were forced to modify the program. Side effects: the members of the Oscar jury will have two additional days to elect their favorite actors and directors and the announcement of the nominations, initially scheduled for January 17, will be held on January 19, according to Variety.
The Critics Choice Awards ceremony, another more minor event which rewards films, scheduled for Sunday January 12, has been postponed by two weeks. And the preview screenings planned in emblematic Hollywood theaters (Unstoppable et Wolf Man January 14 and Better Man et The Pitt on January 15) were canceled, reports Variety.
-Filming stopped
Another consequence of the devastation of the fire: several filming sessions were interrupted on Wednesday, according to Variety. L’agence FilmLA, which issues filming permits in the Californian metropolis, declared in a press release that “Professionals usually available to support film production may not be available during the local state of emergency.” The Los Angeles County Fire Department also ordered that all permits issued for filming in several city locations “be removed”, added the agency.
Due to the proximity of the flames, the Warner Bros studio had to close its doors, interrupting the filming of the series Abbott Elementary, All-American et The Pittscheduled for this Thursday. At Disney, the production of the hit series Grey’s Anatomy a you talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live was paused. NBC Universal and CBS studios have interrupted filming on several series and television shows, including the new season of NCIS: Special Investigations. Finally, Amazon has decided to postpone the resumption of filming of the postapocalyptic series until Friday Falloutwhich was to take place in the Santa Clarita area, north of Los Angeles, according to Variety.
After a long strike led by screenwriters in 2023, the Hollywood industry is now bearing the brunt of the consequences of global warming. However, steps had been taken to rethink the energy impact of blockbusters. For almost four years, the Mecca of cinema has been trying to change its model, notably during the annual climate summit, organized in Hollywood, but these efforts towards a more responsible model still remain timid. The current catastrophe will at least perhaps serve that purpose.
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