What's news: As the White House readies an economic stimulus package to fight the coronavirus pandemic, many productions are halted, theaters are shuttering and studios are debating how to get their latest crop of films to audiences, including collapsing the theatrical window. — Erik Hayden

 "Until Further Notice"

Major theater chains shutter in U.S. Until yesterday, most large chains had tried social distancing measures and reducing capacity. But now they'll be temporarily closed. Pamela McClintock reports: 

AMC — the largest chain in the country with roughly 630 locations and 11,000 screens — made its announcement Monday night after a raft of other circuits announced closures throughout the day, beginning with Regal Cinemas, the second-largest movie chain in the U.S.

However, AMC was the first to indicate how long theaters expect to stay closed — raising the prospect that the May and June release calendars could be severely impacted. (Regal simply said "until further notice.") While studios have delayed March and April event pics and and at least one May tentpole — F9 — Black Widow still has a release date of May 1, while Wonder Woman 1984 is set to go out on June 5. Story.

+ In U.K., exhibition giants Cineworld and Odeon close. The move was made less than a day after British prime minister Boris Johnson urged the public to avoid unnecessary social activity such as visiting theaters. "Until further notice."

+ Box office grosses in the U.K. and Germany, the last two major territories still open this past weekend (though both have since shut down), plunged, with British box office down 50 percent and Germany returns down 75 percent. Details. 

+ Europe plans relief for theaters. Germany, France, Spain and Italy have pledged tax relief and other support for cinemas, independent businesses and freelance workers hit by the COVID-19 lockdown, with calls for the U.K. to follow suit.

+ White House readies plan. "The Trump administration is preparing to ask for about $850 billion in additional stimulus to support the economy ...  A centerpiece of the proposal is the payroll tax cut that President Trump has been calling for," per a New York Times report.

Production notices: Disney's Avatar sequels stop filming in New Zealand ... Warners' The Matrix 4 halts filming ... Sony's Cinderella shuts down in U.K. ... Sony's Uncharted suspends pre-production ... NBC's Saturday Night Live suspends for next three shows ... HBO Max's Tokyo Vice halts filming in Japan ... FX's Fargo pushes release date from April 19 to undated.



"Hollywood on Vine, Monday, March 16, 2020. In the 9 o’clock hour. Rush hour," THR's Borys Kit tweets. 

+ Studios test out breaking the theatrical window. NBCUniversal on Monday said its current movies from the Universal Pictures stable — including the upcoming event family movie Trolls World Tour — will be made available on demand at the same time they hit those theaters that remain open during the coronavirus pandemic.

Pamela McClintock notes: Insiders say it isn't a blanket policy for the studio's entire 2020 calendar and that decisions regarding other titles and the duration of the policy haven't been made yet.

Additionally, Warner Bros.' Birds of Prey and STX's The Gentlemen will be available for purchase on March 24, a few weeks earlier than a typical VOD release. And, on Friday, Disney said that it would make Frozen 2 available three months early on Disney+ Story. 

+ Disney's stock woes. Georg Szalai emails: More Wall Street analysts reduced their stock price target for the Walt Disney Co. Bernstein’s Todd Juenger lowered his target to $100 from $119 "to reflect the shutdown of sports and movie theaters" after previously modeling the global shutdown of theme parks. Juenger called his new price target "a 50/50 probability of base case ($107) and bear case ($92)." MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson in a report entitled 'From Great to Good to Bad to Ugly' cut his Disney stock price target from $165 to $120, writing: "Over the past 90 days, Disney investors have experienced the widest range of possible emotions."

An entertainment lawyer explains: After a breached contract due to coronavirus, how can damages be limited?

Schuyler Moore writes: "You have just decided, or have been forced, to breach a contract due to the spread of COVID-19. You are an actor who has decided not to show up on set, or you are a company that will not (or cannot) complete a film, release a film, hold an event or pay for something that is now worthless to you due to one of these events. Now what?

One option is to bite the bullet and be prepared to pay for all damages that flow from your breach. Ouch. A better option is to rely on various defenses available to you by law. If your contract does not have a force majeure clause ... you are going to have to rely on one of two defenses that are implied by law." Guest column.

Status updates: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson leave the hospital after virus diagnoses ... Idris Elba posts that he's tested positive for the virus but "I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far" ... Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju discloses he's tested positive for the virus and has "mild symptoms" ... Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donate $1 million to food banks ... Mel and Max Brooks make a social distancing PSA ... Hulu closes Santa Monica HQ as employee tests positive.

► Disney to close all North American stores. All retail locations will close March 17 while Disney hotels in Walt Disney World and its Vero Beach Resort will also close by March 20.

► CW's Batwoman shoot suffers on-set injury. According to a co-worker, a production assistant was struck in the head by the lowering bucket of a lift on Wednesday (before a set shutdown) and underwent emergency spinal surgery.

► R.I.P., Suzy Delair. The French chanteuse and actress who found fame in the 1940s and '50s, has died. She was 102. Full obit. 

Cats tops Razzies. The awards show had been canceled following a Los Angeles citywide directive that major events be postponed to prevent further spreading of the coronavirus. "Winners" list. 

 Meanwhile...

^Stephen Colbert films surprise Late Show monologue from bathtub. The CBS host shot an opening, shown prior to the rerun episode, from his bathtub, calling the intro a "very special distancing edition of the Late Show." Watch. 

Review roundup: Slay the Dragon finds "more hope than usual in blood-boiling politi-doc" ... The Misogynists is "a nasty showcase for Dylan Baker" ... Inside the Rain shows "film-as-therapy may speak to those with similar diagnoses."

What else we're reading...

— "Workers behind the stars are hurting." Ben Sisario writes: "Sound engineers, lighting technicians and more gig-to-gig employees who fuel the touring industry are 'preparing for the worst.'" [New York Times]

— "Ad industry grimly prepares for a prolonged downturn." Seb Joseph notes: "One ad exec said that three new business pitches worth approximately $2 billion in total media billings had been recently postponed." [Digiday]

— "On Fox News, suddenly a very different tune." Paul Farhi, Sarah Ellison write: "With Trump’s declaration on Friday that the virus constitutes a national emergency, the tone on Fox News has quickly shifted." [Washington Post]

— "Sports media ponders the coronavirus." Bryan Curtis asks: "with no games on the horizon, what will happen to the journalists who surround those games?" [The Ringer]

— "At a time of uncertainty, comfort and curiosity in classic films." Chief film critic Todd McCarthy's watchlist for those looking to discover or rediscover some old movies. [THR]

From the archives...



^When Hollywood faced a (non-strike) shutdown: "The studios are in trouble. The picture business is in trouble. The whole of America is in trouble. At the time this is written, serious consideration is being given to the absolute closing of the studios here..." March 7, 1933. 

+ 20 years ago today: On March 17, 2000, John Cusack brought High Fidelity to Austin for its premiere at the South by Southwest Festival. Original review. 

Today's birthdays: John Boyega, 28, Natalie Zea, 45, Billy Corgan, 53, Rob Lowe, 56, Gary Sinise, 65, Kurt Russell, 69, Patrick Duffy, 71. 

*Sign of the times in Los Angeles: The pricier, health-conscious Erewhon Market says business right now is doubling.