Tyler Perry was one of the first producers to come up with a comprehensive plan to safely resume TV production in April 2020, just weeks after the pandemic-related Hollywood shutdown. It is up and running by mid-July and uses a quarantine bubble model in which role distribution and crew are sequestered for the duration of the on-site survey.
This Saturday, April 10, Perry will end the bubble at his Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, a representative of the media magnate confirmed to Deadline. The move follows a mass vaccination event in the studio this past Saturday, April 3rd. Perry, who covered the logistical costs, contracted Grady Hospital, whose staff set up the vaccination center at TPS for his entire crew and their family and friends who had not received another vaccine.
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Although the vaccines were open to everyone in the studio and their neighbor, it was not mandatory. More than 250 people have been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, and Grady Hospital staff will return within a few weeks to administer a second nap.
Perry, who was vaccinated again in January, shot a video during the vaccination at TPS in which he reported that 55% of his crew had now been vaccinated at least once by Covid and encouraged Americans to be vaccinated . (Watch the video below.)
As Perry resumed with a quarantine bubble in July, he shot new seasons of several series, including BETs Sistas and The oval, BET +’s Merciless and Bruh – everything that Perry created, wrote and directed – as well as the upcoming All the queen’s men for BET +, produced by Tyler Perry Studios.
The bubble held up well. Although there were positive cases during the registration, there was not a time when everyone was in the bubble, without any interruptions to the shoots.
As the bubble ends, strict Covid protocols will remain in place during production, according to industry safety standards and in line with the procedures at all other studios that do not use a quarantine bubble.
As Covid restrictions across the country become relaxed amid the huge increase in vaccination rates, Perry is increasing production in his studio. The plan is to shoot eight seasons of TV series and two movies in the first six months of 2021. Additional installments of All the queen’s men Season 1 is now being filmed, with Season 2 of Merciless following.