A production company ready to shoot a movie in South Carolina pulled out because it couldn’t get insurance due to the state’s low vaccination rates and increasing COVID-19 case numbers.
“One True Loves,” a film by Volition Media Partners, dropped out of negotiations with the South Carolina Film Commission on Aug. 20, according to commission representative Matt Storm.
The Film Commission, a division of the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, is responsible for the recruitment and economic development of the motion picture industry within the state.
“Unfortunately, after going back and forth for a number of weeks with our bond company, they have not approved South Carolina due to the low vaccination rates and increasing COVID cases,” Volition Media Partners Producer Michael Jefferson wrote in an email to the commission that was shared on social media.
Jefferson didn’t reply to The Post and Courier for additional comment.
Destin Daniel Cretton (left) and Simu Liu speaks during the “Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings” portion of the Marvel Studios panel on day three of Comic-Con International on July 20, 2019, in San Diego. A film featuring Liu pulled out of South Carolina because it could not be insured due to the state’s low vaccination rates and growing COVID-19 case load. File/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
“While Volition Media mentioned a concern with COVID-19 numbers in the Southeast, as in most negotiations, final filming decisions are the result of a variety of factors,” Storm said. “We have not had any films or productions pull out of South Carolina due to COVID-19 concerns in the past year.”
Last year most bond companies, which provide insurance to corporations in the film industry and beyond, regarded the COVID-19 pandemic as a force majeure, Carolina Film Alliance President Linda Lee said. Now they don’t, more closely analyzing what exactly they will insure, she said.
“(Volition) did everything properly … and then they couldn’t get the completion bond simply based on our COVID-19 record,” Lee said. “It’s a real shame.”
The daily entertainment industry publication Variety reported June 2 the movie — set to star Simu Liu (lead of Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” out now in theaters); Phillipa Soo (on the original “Hamilton” cast); and Luke Bracey (of Netflix’s “Holidate”) — planned to enter production in Massachusetts in October and November.
Lee told The Post and Courier the Los Angeles production company pivoted to South Carolina after a July 1 announcement that the S.C. Film Commission would receive $15 million to offer in incentives.
These non-recurring incentives, targeted at feature films versus recurring television series, were funded by an overage in the state budget at the end of last fiscal year, said Lee.
The amount matches the $15 million the commission already offers in recurring TV incentives that have helped bring “The Righteous Gemstones” and “Outer Banks” to Charleston.
“We’re certainly sorry to hear that,” Brian Symmes, Gov. Henry McMaster’s spokesman, said of the film exiting the state. “But the governor’s policies and decisions when it comes to COVID-19 have certainty enhanced the state’s economy by keeping businesses open and getting South Carolinians back to work.”
Symmes said McMaster is asking South Carolinians to “take a good hard long look” at the COVID-19 options available to them, including the vaccine, which the governor and his family have received.
“Obviously, the option every South Carolinian has right now that we know is the most effective is to get the vaccine,” Symmes said. “The governor has encouraged South Carolinians to do their own research, get information about the vaccine and ultimately make a decision sooner rather than later to get it, but ultimately that’s a personal decision and he will not mandate or force anyone to get it.”
The film industry has been adhering to strict COVID-19 rules throughout the pandemic, including a temporary halt in filming followed by frequent testing, masking and social distancing.
A July agreement between Hollywood and major companies allows film and TV productions to require vaccines on set.
Netflix became the first major Hollywood studio to require actors and crew members in contact with the set get vaccinated. The company has now extended that policy to all office employees and visitors.
Locally, “The Righteous Gemstones” partnered with MUSC to provide continuous COVID-19 testing throughout production this year.
“We don’t want to put fear into people,” Lee said. “But it is a fact that this is not a safe state to live in right now so how can it be a safe state to work in?”
Lee said at least two other films are negotiating with the commission, though since they are larger and with more affiliations, she doesn’t expect their bond companies to deny them insurance as in Volition’s case.
Storm at the Film Commission said he doesn’t foresee this becoming a trend for other productions interested in filming in the state.
“We’ve got talented crew in South Carolina who knows what it takes to keep sets safe and are committed to helping grow the film industry in the Palmetto State,” he said.