‘Star Trek: Picard’ Production Comes to Screeching COVID-19 Halt

Production on the Paramount+ Star Trek series Star Trek: Picard has been shut down since Monday due to a COVID-19 outbreak affecting more than 50 people, including cast members.

Last Monday was the first day of work after the Christmas break. The production team for Star Trek: Picard got one last unwanted lump of coal in their stockings when more than 50 of its members tested positive. Production was immediately shut down, and has remained so. Filming could resume as early as next week, though nobody’s really sure. The infection count could rise before then, and this might be just corporate wishful thinking at Paramont.

The Alex Kurtzman production Star Trek: Picard has one of the biggest crews in television, with more than 450 people making the magic happen. The production is spread out over several geographical locations, but the infections affected most of them, including Los Angeles, where most of the filming takes place. Even some of the cast managed to get it. If Patrick Stewart himself had been infected, our sources would have highlighted that, so we don’t believe he’s among the afflicted.

It’s not just Picard being affected either. The Omicron varient of the virus is a lot more contagious than previous versions, and other CBS Studios productions have had to pause production as well, including NCIS. Outside of CBS, major events including the Grammy Awards and a number of TV and film red carpets have been abruptly canceled or gone completely virtual.

Picard films in Los Angeles, which recorded 26,754 new cases, 2,240 hospitalizations and 27 deaths on Jan. 5. In California, an average of 59,000 cases a day were reported from New Year’s Eve through Monday.

Michelle Hurd, Brent Spiner, Alison Pill, Jeri Ryan, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, John de Lancie, Santiago Cabrera, Orla Brady, and Annie Wersching also star in Picard.

Picard was formally renewed for a third season in September, with seasons two and three being filmed back to back in a bid to control costs and accommodate production schedules.

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