Netflix is stepping up to help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by creating a $100 million fund that will go to support production and other workers in the industry.
The moves comes after production on nearly all major TV shows and movies has come to a grinding halt as more states and cities in act stay-at-home mandates.
“Most of the fund will go towards support for the hardest-hit workers on our own productions around the world,” Netflix said in a statement. “We’re in the process of working out exactly what this means, production by production. This is in addition to the two weeks pay we’ve already committed to the crew and cast on productions we were forced to suspend last week.”
COVID-19 hits Hollywood hard
Netflix, Disney and Apple announced last week that they have temporarily halted production on their TV shows in the U.S. and Canada for at least two weeks in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Universal Studios and Warner Bros followed suit on closing down shooting of a number of their movies.
Some of the Apple TV+ shows that have been delayed include the science fiction series For All Mankind, the Stephen King miniseries Lisey’s Story, the science fiction drama See, the TV drama The Morning Show, the psychological horror television series Servant, and the Isaac Asimov sci-fi series Foundation.
Netflix says some of the funds it’s making available will go to non-Netflix workers too. $15 million has been set aside for third parties and non-profits providing emergency relief. The SAG-AFTRA Covid-19 Disaster Fund and the Motion Picture and Television Fund will also get $1 million each.
“What’s happening is unprecedented,” Netflix said. “We are only as strong as the people we work with and Netflix is fortunate to be able to help those hardest hit in our industry through this challenging time.”
.
