As multiple fires beset greater Los Angeles, two more premiere events planned this week have been shelved.
Paramount has canceled the Los Angeles premiere of its Robbie Williams biopic “Better Man,” originally scheduled for Wednesday night. Meanwhile Max has canceled the planned Wednesday night premiere for its upcoming medical drama “The Pitt.”
“Due to the dangerous conditions affecting Los Angeles we are canceling tomorrow’s premiere of Better Man. Our thoughts are with those impacted by the devastating fires resulting from these conditions, and we encourage everyone to stay safe and follow guidance and orders from local officials and government agencies,” a Paramount Pictures spokesperson said in a statement provided to TheWrap.
“Out of an abundance of caution due to the ongoing Palisades Fire and continued wind advisories through tomorrow, we are canceling Wednesday’s premiere event for The Pitt,” Max representatives said in a separate statement. “The safety and well-being of our attendees, staff, and community are our top priority. We are grateful for the first responders bravely working to protect our community, and our thoughts are with those affected.”
Los Angeles was hit with infernos on opposite ends, with the devastating Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades that began late Tuesday morning, and the Eaton Fire in Altadena that was sparked early Tuesday evening.
The blazes were sparked by the strongest Santa Ana winds in over a decade, bringing extreme dry conditions effectively turning much of the region into a tinderbox. Already, at least 30,000 people have been evacuated near the fires, and authorities expect conditions to worsen overnight as 100mph winds are forecasted.
And of course numerous Hollywood events have been rescheduled or canceled outright, among them a Tuesday night FYC event in West Hollywood for Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night” film, and canceled Tuesday night premieres for Universal and Amazon MGM Studios’ “Wolf Man” at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, and “Unstoppable” at the DGA Theater.
As of this writing, the Palisades Fire has burned over more than 2,900 acres. The Eaton Fire now covers around 400 acres. The Los Angeles Fire Department is holding a press conference Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. at Zuma Beach to update the public on efforts to contain the blazes.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, as have Los Angeles county and city officials, and according to Newsom, President Joe Biden has already authorized federal funds to cover the battle against the fires.
