British actor Robert Pattinson fell ill with the virus on the set of 'The Batman'. AFP
British actor Robert Pattinson fell ill with the virus on the set of 'The Batman'. AFP
British actor Robert Pattinson fell ill with the virus on the set of 'The Batman'. AFP
British actor Robert Pattinson fell ill with the virus on the set of 'The Batman'. AFP

‘The Batman’ star Robert Pattinson tests positive for coronavirus on set


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Filming in Britain for the latest Batman movie has been halted after its star, Robert Pattinson, reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus just days after shooting had resumed.

"A member of The Batman production has tested positive for Covid-19 and is isolating in accordance with established protocols," Warner Bros said. "Filming is temporarily paused."

The studio did not identify the person infected or indicate when filming would resume.

But Hollywood trade publications, including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, said they had confirmed that Pattinson, 34, was the sick cast member.

Production for the new film – a dark, detective-style mystery take on the "Caped Crusader" – had to shut down in the middle of production in March due to the pandemic.

Director Matt Reeves has said his version, originally due out next June, is inspired by classic film noir and will depict a "very human and very flawed" Bruce Wayne in his second year as Batman, trying to solve a series of crimes.

The first footage from the much-hyped movie released at the DC FanDome event last month left fans drooling.

In it, a mysterious villain leaves notes for Batman at crime scenes across Gotham, and the film's hero pummels a street thug before growling: "I'm vengeance."

The production halt is the latest to hit Hollywood as the film industry tries to get back to work.

Several major Hollywood blockbusters resumed filming in the past two months, some of them in Britain, which loosened coronavirus travel rules to allow casts and crew to fly in for work.

Among the high-profile films that have been allowed to resume production are Jurassic World: Dominion,  starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, and Mission: Impossible 7,  starring Tom Cruise.

Movie productions in Los Angeles have resumed only recently, with studios imposing strict safety rules on actors and crew.

Pattinson, who rose to fame in the teen romance drama Twilight, is the latest high-profile actor to have contracted the virus.

On Wednesday, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson revealed that his entire family had tested positive for coronavirus but had all made a full recovery.

Johnson, the world's top-earning actor, said he, his wife and two young daughters had picked up Covid-19 from close family friends.

He urged his 196 million Instagram followers to wear masks and avoid "politicising" the pandemic.

"This has been one of the most challenging and difficult things we have ever had to endure as a family," Johnson said.

"I wish it was only me who tested positive, but it wasn't. It was my entire family, so this one was a real kick in the gut."

The Jumanji  actor's young children, Jasmine and Tiana Gia, had few symptoms but Johnson and his wife Lauren Hashian "had a rough go," he said.

Other celebrities who have fallen ill with the coronavirus include Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko and British actor Idris Elba.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Results

5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions Dh90,000 2,200m

Winner: Mudaarab, Jim Crowley (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer).

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,400m

Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Richard Mullen, Hassan Al Hammadi.

6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m

Winner: Salima Al Reef, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige Dh100,000 1,600m

Winner: Bainoona, Ricardo Iacopini, Eric Lemartinel.

7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m

Winner: Assyad, Victoria Larsen, Eric Lemartinel.

8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1 Dh5,000,000 1,600m

Winner: Mashhur Al Khalediah, Jean-Bernard Eyquem, Phillip Collington.

The BIO:

He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal

He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side

By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam

Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border

He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push

His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.