Premieres for Amazon MGM Studios’ film Unstoppable and Universal’s film Wolf Man, scheduled for Tuesday in Los Angeles, have been cancelled due to the fast-moving fires in the Pacific Palisades.
The wildfire has expanded in a matter of hours to cover more than 2,900 acres, engulfing neighbourhoods that are home to a number of celebrities and forcing 30,000 people to evacuate.
Unstoppable, the directorial debut of Argo editor William Goldenberg, stars Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, and Don Cheadle. Based on a 2012 book of the same name by Anthony Robles, the biopic follows the life of wrestler Anthony Robles (Jerome), who was born with one leg and won a national championship in 2011 while competing at Arizona State University. Lopez stars as his mother, and Peña and Cheadle starring as his coaches.
The film screening was set for 7pm at the DGA Theater in West Hollywood, with the cast arriving around 5.30pm. Cast members Lopez, Jerome, Don Cheadle, Michael Peña, Mykelti Williamson, as well as Robles and his mother Judy Robles were all scheduled to attend.
“In light of today’s safety concerns around heightened wind activity and fire outbreaks in Los Angeles, we regret to inform you that we are canceling tonight’s premiere of Unstoppable,” Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement on Tuesday.
“As much as we were looking forward to celebrating this wonderful and inspiring film with you, safety is our first priority. We encourage everyone to watch Unstoppable on Prime Video, which will be available globally on 16 January. Thank you for your understanding and please stay safe.”
Shortly after, Universal announced that the premiere for Wolf Man, set to take place at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, had also been cancelled.
“Unfortunately, tonight’s premiere of Wolf Man is canceled due to sensitivities around the worsening weather situation in LA and related evacuations,” an email from a Universal representative to premiere attendees read.
Wolf Man, the Blumhouse reboot of the 1941 film The Wolf Man, has been directed by Leigh Whannell and stars Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner and Matilda Firth. The film follows a family at a remote farmhouse who is attacked by an unseen animal; but as the night stretches on, the father begins to transform into something unrecognisable.
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There has been no update on whether the premieres for either film will be rescheduled for a later date.
A Netflix event that was planned for the evening celebrating the music of the film Emilia Perez, with star Karla Sofía Gascón and songwriters/composers Camille & Clément set to attend, was also cancelled, with organisers citing “an abundance of caution due to the severe winds and fires currently affecting the LA area”.
A screening of I’m Still Here starring Fernanda Torres was also cancelled, according to The Hollywood Reporter. At the event, Guillermo del Toro was set to host a Q&A with Brazilian director Walter Salles and Torres.
And a cocktail event being hosted by Jason Reitman celebrating the CSA, Costume Designers Guild, and Golden Reel nominees was also cancelled, reported Deadline.
About 30,000 residents are under evacuation orders due to the fire currently tearing through hundreds of acres across the Pacific Palisades area that is home to several Hollywood stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Tom Hanks, and Reese Witherspoon.
The brush fire has forced evacuations in the Los Angeles, California, community of Pacific Palisades, with orders established from the hills down to the Pacific Coast Highway. The fire, which is being exacerbated by strong winds and low humidity, is expected to worsen.
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said firefighters are working to aggressively respond to the fire, and that strike teams had been “pre-deployed” in areas prone to wildfire.
Actor James Woods shared several updates on the fire on his social media while he was leaving the area, as the smoke filled the surrounding skies.
A state of emergency has been declared in Los Angeles. “This could be the difference in someone’s life or death if we can get people safely evacuated,” Los Angeles fire department spokesperson Margaret Stewart told KABC Channel 7.
Unstoppable will be released for streaming on Prime Video on 16 January. Wolf Man will be released in theaters on 17 January.