Written by :
Ace King
Published on :
A crew member involved with the shooting of Russell Crowe's new poker film, Poker Face, has tested positive for Covid-19 and has forced production to shut down for the moment.
- Poker Face stars Crowe as a tech billionaire who gathers his childhood friends to his Miami estate for what turns into a high stakes game of poker.
- Crowe has concocted an elaborate scheme designed to bring a certain justice to all of them but must rethink his plan after his Miami mansion is overtaken by a dangerous home invader whose previous jobs have all ended in murder and arson.
- Filming had been taking place at locations around Sydney - not in Miami - and on the south coast as well as at Fox Studios.
- Poker Face has been shooting for the past 11 weeks under strict Covid-19 protocol that includes masking of all but three crew members who have medical exemptions.
- “Unfortunately six days from the end of our shoot on Poker Face we have had a confirmed positive COVID case amongst our crew and a second possible positive under further investigation by our Poker Face COVID team and NSW Health,” Crowe revealed Monday.
- "For the safety of cast and crew and the wider community, the production has been immediately paused and everyone instructed to isolate whilst the situation is looked into. We have followed strict protocols with cast and crew being tested three times a week for the past 11-plus weeks.”
- Crowe added: “We feel for the crew members involved, like all the people on this show they are both very committed team players and diligent in their approach to their work responsibilities. We also feel for the wider community going through these difficult times. We hope this situation will be confined and we can be back up and running very soon.”
- Those involved with the film production came under fire a few weeks ago for shooting in an area that is under strict lockdown.
- Kiama MP Gareth Ward blasted the production via Twitter. “This makes a total mockery of the Public Health Orders. People can’t see family and friends, funerals limited to 10, no cases in Shellharbour but still locked down but apparently ‘A-listers’ producing movies is essential?”
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
