Eep! The team working on SBS’s new big-budget Wednesday-Thursday drama Swallow the Sun has been hit by swine flu as four crew members have tested positive for the illness.
With only a day (and a half) left before its July 8 premiere, the production has been advised by health officials to prioritize the health of the public at large over its shooting schedule, and has decided to cut its planned July 7 production press conference.
The cast and crew had left for Las Vegas on June 14 for overseas shoots and returned to Korea on July 2. Among the staff, one member had been suffering from a cold and body aches before leaving on the trip, and still suffered from fever upon return. After being tested for swine flu, the results came back positive and the staffer is currently quarantined in Incheon.
Furthermore, the team that had traveled to film in Jeju Island last month reconvened with the team returning from the States to continue filming. After the first staffer tested positive, the rest of the crew submitted themselves for tests at a health clinic in Jeju and carefully resumed filming, accompanied by several medical professionals. However, results came back on July 6 confirming that three more crew members had tested positive for swine flu and filming has now completely stopped. Those three are receiving medical treatment in Jeju. The Swallow the Sun team is following the instructions set forth by the Center for Disease Control, particularly with regard to keeping separate from the general populace, and are confining themselves to their homes to keep worries at bay.
Meanwhile, the actors (which include Ji Sung, Sung Yuri, Lee Wan, Yoo Oh-sung) expressed some concerns over the production delay but said, “The drama is important, but more important is to put the people’s health first, so even if it hinders our production we’ve had to shut down.”
The producers are taking an optimistic line, saying, “We have shot parts already that can air, so the broadcast will proceed without problems. We plan to resume filming after this situation has passed, so don’t worry too much.”
Swallow the Sun will not hold its July 7 pre-show press conference, and will air a special on the 8th, followed by the first episode on the 9th.
Via TV Report
RELATED POSTS
Tags:
Ji Sung,
Lee Wan,
Sung Yuri,
Swallow the Sun,
Yoo Oh-sung
Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 21 Comments →
