Since the Daily Emerald reported on COVID-19’s impact on the worlds of cinema and television a month ago, a lot has happened. Several productions have been announced or further delayed and people within the world of cinema have passed from the disease.
Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Ragnarok” follow-up, “Thor: Love and Thunder, has been moved up from it’s previously delayed date of Feb. 18 to Feb. 11, 2022.”
Lionsgate, the production company that brought “The Hunger Games” franchise, has updated the release for “John Wick: Chapter 4” from May 21, 2022 to May 27 of the same year. Now planned for a May 21 release will be the anticipated “Saw” reboot titled “Spiral: From The Book of Saw,” or “Spiral” for short, starring executive producer Chris Rock.
Paramount Pictures has moved back the release date for “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run” from July 31 of this year to Aug. 7. They have also set a release date for an untitled “Transformers” film for June 24, 2022.
Sadly, though, the final most impacts of COVID-19 on cinema and television has been those we’ve lost to the disease.
Jay Benedict, who was in both “Aliens” as second-grade xenomorph attack survivor Newt’s father and “The Dark Night Rises” as Rich Twit, passed on April 4 at the age of 68.
The 1961 “The Yogi Bear Show’s” own Cindy Bear, Julie Bennett, who reprised the voice acting role over 20 years, passed on March 31 at age 88.
Mark Blum passed on March 25 at age 69. He had starred in films such as “Crocodile Dundee” and television shows such as “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” for which he held many roles. More recently, Blum was in Netflix’s popular thriller series, “You,” as bookstore owner Mr. Mooney.
Patricia Bosworth, an actress who famously starred opposite Audrey Hepburn in 1959’s “The Nun’s Story,” was a prolific biographer of celebrities in her post-acting years. She penned biographies on Marlon Brando, John Wayne and Jane Fonda to name a few. Bosworth passed at the age of 86 on April 2.
Allen Daviau, a frequent cinematographer for Steven Spielberg for films such as “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” and “The Color Purple,” passed on April 15 at age 77.
With only three titles to her credit, the horror community lost a mother figure in Lee Fierro who played Mrs. Kintner in 1975’s “Jaws” and 1987’s “Jaws: The Revenge.” She passed at age 91 on April 5.
Prolific actor Allen Garfield, who starred in over 100 roles throughout his career — most known for “The Candidate” and “Skateboard” — passed on April 7 at age 80. Garfield was one of the first people to die from COVID-19 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital. Allen Daviau was also a resident at the facility where two others — Joel Rogosin who wrote episodes of “Magnum P.I.” and “Knight Rider,” and 1990’s Disney animator Ann Sullivan — also passed away from the disease.
While not being a cinema or television star, the famous Las Vegas showman Roy Horn — one half of Siegfried & Roy who, in 2003, was infamously dragged on stage by Mantecore, a white tiger — passed on May 8 at age 75.
With a prolific career over many decades, Andrew Jack was both an actor and a dialect coach to others. He recently played Major Caluan Ematt in both “Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens” and “Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi” while also starring in “Solo: A Star Wars Story” as Moloch. Most recently, however, Jack was hired as the dialect coach the upcoming Robert Pattinson-starring “The Batman.” He passed on March 31 at age 76.
Considering Oregon is only in the first stages of reopening and many states following suit before a projected second wave of COVID-19 — if they closed at all, to begin with — more release updates, and, sadly, deaths, are imminent. The Daily Emerald will cover updates as they come.
