Update: Filming could resume on Fear TWD as soon as August per AMC

AMC CEO says that plans are underway to resume filming Fear TWD season 6

Fear the Walking Dead films in Austin, Texas, a city that has been hammered by the effects of COVID-19. As companies learn how to manage working in the “new normal”, Hollywood studios are also trying to adapt so that new content can be created while cast and crew remain safe. AMC’s CEO, Josh Sapan, released some new information during a conference call on Tuesday that suggests that Fear TWD could return to filming as soon as late August.

Sapan’s call, which was with network executives, indicates that AMC is looking ahead toward filming but that the network remains cautious as the situation seems to change almost daily. “Our ability to resume in the safest possible way is something we are closely focused on,” he said. “We will continue to monitor and adjust accordingly depending on local circumstances.”

The reality is that in order for filming to resume, substantial testing would have to take place and the cast and crew would need to be quarantined for at least 14 days to ensure that no one is COVID-19 positive. Tyler Perry is already using this model at his studio, where he created a “camp quarantine” for cast and crew to live and work, thus ensuring no outbreaks. Major League Baseball and the NBA are also creating quarantine bubbles, to varying success.

One of the challenges with a show like Fear TWD is that it is shot almost entirely on location, and many of those locations are out in the middle of nowhere. Unlike The Walking Dead, which is based largely in Senoia and has a production camp (where the Alexandria scenes are filmed), Fear TWD does not have a base of operations and moves around constantly, so the prospect of having a quarantine bubble seems difficult given that the cast and crew are not on a soundstage or filming in a secure environment.

Even so, amid all of the challenges the Fear TWD cast and crew will no doubt face ahead of a return to production, the idea that there are plans in motion is enough for fans, who have been eager to know that the show will go on when it is safe to return to work.