Hollywood struggles to continue despite the ravages of the Los Angeles fires

On Jan. 5, a talent agent cut short his trip to a post-Golden Globe party, rushing home to get some time off from all the work that had piled up over the vacation. Two days later, that house burned in the wildfires that decimated the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods of Los Angeles, as well as part of Malibu. The work that seemed so urgent just hours before no longer had as much importance in the face of unimaginable personal loss.

It’s a sentiment felt across the entertainment industry, which has been hit hard by the disaster, with people left homeless by the fires across media companies, talent and PR agencies, sometimes at most high level. Non-urgent meetings were rescheduled, important decisions were postponed, and work became remote or hybrid as hundreds of employees under evacuation warnings had to leave or be ready to do so at a moment’s notice.

Although Deadline received a few complaints about individual media services allegedly making their employees work under duress, including while evacuating, there was a widespread sense of camaraderie and people introducing themselves to each other in the ‘entire industry, whether it’s executives who respect simply scheduled meetings. to check in on coworkers and make sure they’re okay, or a boss who steps in to help a lower-level employee who lost their home navigate insurance companies, or someone setting up a Venmo account for a colleague whose house burned down. Major studios and talent agencies have provided displaced employees with free or reduced-cost temporary housing. CAA furloughed its employees Friday at the end of an emotionally draining week.

“I haven’t felt like people have been getting together like this since Covid,” one entertainment executive said.

Flexibility is expected to continue in the coming days, with staff evacuated from Los Angeles having the option to work from home.

Local television production, which was halted when the fires began, has resumed, largely indoors, as air quality in many areas of Los Angeles remains at dangerous levels. There is often accommodation for the cast or crew. For example, those who have been affected by the fires or are unable to safely travel to the filming of CBS Studios shows are not required to do so while receiving their regular paycheck.

“People are aware that we need to take care of workers at the bottom who have just come out of a pandemic and two strikes and are finally getting back on their feet,” a TV executive said. “We need to be careful not to derail this too much while still making sure everyone feels safe and comfortable.” »

One of the popular slogans during the post-strike year of 2024 marked by industry contraction was “Survive until 2025”. Although there had been recent skepticism about whether Hollywood’s much-needed recovery would come to 2025 or be pushed back, there was still anticipation and enthusiasm. At the Golden Globe parties just a week ago, streaming executives discussed plans to accelerate purchases in January and give the green light in February.

With so many writers, producers, directors, their representatives as well as executives at all levels affected by the fires, it has been difficult to focus on daily buying and selling, while many in the sector are still reeling from the enormity and violence. severity of devastation that directly or indirectly affected virtually everyone in Hollywood. Trying to continue working can be difficult for a while.

“Some people can’t make it to work,” said one film distribution veteran. “How do you feel about work with all this?” So much is pushed.

Eventually things should turn around but it could take some time. “It’s unclear when things will return to normal, whatever that means now,” said a person close to the agency.

While cautious, a Los Angeles-based film sales and finance executive had a different view. “It’s still too early to know the impact on the business,” the person said. “What is certain is that this is very bad for an already struggling Los Angeles economy. The next few weeks may well be slower than usual, but I don’t expect many projects to be delayed.

Out of sensitivity to the personal tragedy experienced by so many Angelenos who were left with just the clothes they wore, entertainment companies held back their announcements and virtually every major Hollywood event over the past week was canceled or postponed, including cinema and television. premieres and award nominations.

Unquestionably, awards season has come to a halt because the last thing on anyone’s mind right now is partying. This will be tested during the next Sundance Film Festival, which is proceeding with its 2025 edition, which begins in 10 days.

“There will probably be some impact,” one festival regular said of scheduling the festival so soon after the fires. “Some stakeholders and industries may have already been affected and will be thinking about rebuilding their homes and others may not want to leave their homes due to concerns about fires, looting and burglaries.”

The festival will have to walk the fine line between an industry in mourning and an industry that is trying to continue.

“It’s devastating to see so many people – including friends – affected like this,” said a leading international seller. “Sundance is headed our way and so far our packaging has not been affected. It seems more important than ever to create jobs in the film sector.

Even though Sundance is just a few days away, a lot could happen between now and then, with evacuation orders still in effect and winds becoming dangerous again this week, prompting many to flock to Hollywood to adopt a wait-and-see approach.

“We all know people who have lost their homes, everything they own, so it’s hard to focus on anything else, especially if you’re someone who’s lost their home,” said a government official. ‘agency. “There is too much uncertainty to think beyond the next few days.”

Andreas Wiseman and Dominic Patten contributed to this report.