Star Trek: Picard shuts down due to 50+ positive COVID tests but don’t expect a large delay

Star Trek: Picard was forced to shut down due to 50+ people testing positive for COVID-19.

Star Trek: Picard got hit hard today as they found out that over 50 people on the cast and crew had COVID-19, forcing the production to be shut down. The shutdown should last at least a week, which means the series won’t suffer a large delay in filming and subsequent airing.

The crew was filming season three of the series, which is the most recent and potentially last season of the show. Since the show had to go on a brief hiatus, it’s fair to suggest that too many key members of the cast and crew tested positive, and with series star Patrick Stewart in his 80s, this was clearly the right call.

One thing that was mentioned by the Hollywood Reporter, the outlet that first broke the news, is that Picard’s third season was already pretty far ahead in their filming and production schedule. So if it had to hit one series, I guess it choose the right one.

COVID has affected Star Trek and other series already

Outside of the near-world-wide shutdown in the early part of 2022, COVID has affected Star Trek before. Strange New Worlds saw several key figures in isolation due to the virus during the filming of season one.

Star Trek: Discovery was shut down in April of 2021 due to too many positive COVID tests, and the virus may be the ultimate reason why the series doesn’t get a fifth season. The show was set to film back-to-back seasons in 2021 but the plans for a fifth season mysteriously vanished and the future of the show is very much up in the air.

Heck, even Star Wars’ Boba Fett was affected some by the virus, with their screening being canceled recently. Clearly being safe is the right call here.