Production of Avatar 2, Matrix 4 suspended due to coronavirus

Makers of Avatar 2 and Matrix 4 have delayed the production as concerns over the coronavirus pandemic continue to rise.

Washington D.C: Filming of James Cameron's Avatar sequel in New Zealand is the latest international shoot to call a halt to production over the global spread of the coronavirus. Warner Bros Pictures too has delayed the production on The Matrix 4 as concerns over the coronavirus pandemic continue to rise.

Producer Jon Landau confirmed that there would be a delay to a block of filming that was due to take place in Wellington's Stone Street Studios in April, cited The Hollywood Reporter.

However, Wellington-based Weta Digital will continue to work on visual effects on the films.

"We've delayed it. We had plans to come down Friday night with a group of people and start back up and we made the decision to hold off and continue working here [Los Angeles], and come down there a little bit later than we'd planned," cited The Hollywood Reporter as Landau as saying.

"We're in the midst of a global crisis and this is not about the film industry. I think everybody needs to do now whatever we can do, as we say here, to flatten the [coronavirus] curve," he added.

READ |2020 Met Gala stands postponed

The film was in production since February, and moved from San Francisco to Berlin, where the team was preparing to shoot this week.

According to Variety, the production company decided to indefinitely delay further filming after US president Donald Trump banned travel to and from Europe.

It is still unclear when the shoot is going to resume and if they delay will impact the scheduled 2021 release.

The number of deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic worldwide has passed 7,000, with more than 175,530 cases in 145 countries.

The virus, which originated in China's Wuhan city, was declared pandemic by World Health Organisation (WHO) last week.

With inputs from PTI