Coronavirus Live Updates: ‘Fast 9’ Delayed, Broadway Goes Dark, WonderCon Postponed

U.S. equities markets opened Thursday with the worst declines since the start of the coronavirus-fueled sell off as global markets quaked in response to the European travel ban announced by President Donald Trump and the NBA’s dramatic decision to suspend the current basketball season, among other ominous signs of the pandemic up-ending everyday life.

Trading on the stock market was halted just five minutes into Thursday’s session after the S&P 500 fell 7%, triggering a mandatory circuit breaker halt to trading for 15 minutes. Within 90 minutes, another 15-minute halt was imposed as investors seemed to grow more panicky by the minute.

Beyond Wall Street, the entertainment industry was scrambling to figure out postponements and alternatives to operations that involve large gatherings of people, including studio audiences for all major talk shows and late-night programs.

Movie studio chiefs are scrutinizing release schedules for the rest of the year and making big moves, such as Universal’s decision to bump “Fast and Furious 9” by a year in the hopes of protecting the franchise from what the industry fears will be the harsh reality of empty theaters as movie-goers fear being in crowds in tight spaces.

See a running list of updates below.

Thursday, March 12

CAA Closes Offices
11:38 A.M.

CAA is closing its Century City, Calif., offices and asking employees to work from home. Sources say the close is expected to start at the end of the day Thursday and occurred after a sports agent came into contact with an infected NBA player. The New York office was encouraged to work from home early Thursday as well.

WonderCon Postponed
11:37 A.M.

WonderCon, the major fan convention based in Anaheim, California, has been postponed. The event, administered by Comic-Con International, was due to run from April 10–12.

Broadway Goes Dark
11:19 A.M.

Broadway theaters in New York City are going dark starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Citing N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s directive to restrict gatherings of more than 500 people, the Broadway League announced that performances will commence the week of April 13, 2020.

CBS, NBC Scrap Live Upfront Presentations 
10:48 A.M.

ViacomCBS and NBCUniversal said they would cancel their “upfront” sales events they hold each year to convince advertisers to commit millions of dollars to its programming. Executives will instead unveil the new CBS 2020-2021 primetime lineup and other content from the company in a video “Upfront special” that will be posted to digital outlets on May 13.

West Coast Late-Night Shows Drop Live Audiences
9:30 A.M.

ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” CBS’ “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and Comedy Central’s “Lights Out with David Spade” will follow the New York-based late-night shows in ditching live audiences, starting next Monday. TBS’ “Conan,” also based on the West Coast, is slated to be on hiatus over the next two weeks.

‘The Lovebirds’ Release Delayed
9:23 A.M.

Paramount Pictures postponed its theatrical release for “The Lovebirds,” a romantic comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae that was scheduled to hit theaters on April 3. It has not yet announced a new release date.

‘Fast & Furious 9’ Release Pushed Back a Year
9:14 A.M.

Universal pushed the release date of the ninth “Fast & Furious” movie back a year. It will now open globally in April 2021.

The Who Postpones U.K. Tour
7:02 A.M.

The Who postponed its U.K. tour, which was scheduled to start Monday in Manchester. The group, however, promised that the shows will “definitely happen” and said the dates will be rescheduled for later in the year.

Wednesday, March 11

California Governor Calls to Cancel Large Gatherings
11:32 P.M.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recommended the cancellation or delay of gatherings with more than 250 people. The policy, which will be in effect at least through March, extend to concerts, conferences, sporting events and movie premieres.

NBA Suspends Season
6:37 P.M.

The NBA suspended its current season of play. Players for the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder were reportedly under quarantine in Oklahoma City after Rudy Gobert, a player for the Jazz, tested positive for coronavirus.

Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson Announce Coronavirus Diagnosis 
6:14 P.M.

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, both 63, announced that they have tested positive for COVID-19, the first celebrities to go public with a diagnosis. The married couple was in Australia for the production of Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley movie, in which Hanks is playing Presley’s iconic manager Colonel Tom Parker.

Nickelodeon Postpones Kids’ Choice Awards
6:13 P.M.

Nickelodeon pushed back the date of its annual Kids’ Choice Awards, which were set to take place on March 22. The network said in its statement that it would have “further information about a new date in the future.”

Trump Suspends All Travel From Europe to U.S.
6:09 P.M.

The U.S. will suspend all travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days, President Donald Trump announced in a somber address to the nation from the Oval Office. The travel restrictions, which take effect at midnight on Friday, do not include the U.K., Trump said, adding that the travel shutdown will be “adjusted subject to conditions on the ground.”

PaleyFest LA Postponed
4:48 P.M.

The Paley Center postponed its signature annual PaleyFest LA event, which was scheduled to kick off this Friday with a tribute to retiring sitcom “Modern Family.” The event would have run through March 21.

GLAAD Media Awards in New York Canceled
3:16 P.M.

GLAAD canceled its Media Awards in New York that were set to take place on March 19. The gala “will no longer occur next week following new guidance from the New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo around COVID-19,” the organization said in a statement.

NCAA March Madness Games to Be Played Without Audiences
2:34 P.M.

The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) announced that it will play its upcoming championship events and tournaments without fans. NCAA president Mark Emmert said the games will be played “with only essential staff and limited family attendance.”

New York’s Late-Night Shows Drop Live Audiences
2:00 P.M.

New York’s top late-night shows — CBS’ “Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” NBC’s “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live,” TBS’ “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” and Fox News Channel’s “The Greg Gutfeld Show” — will forgo live audiences for the next few days.

‘Survivor’ Delays Season 41 Production
1:24 P.M.

CBS delayed production on Season 41, which was set to begin later this month in Fiji. In a statement, a spokesperson for the network said the plan is to begin filming on May 19 “pending worldwide events.”