Netflix Creates Coronavirus Relief Fund for Entertainment Industry

In an effort to aid crew members in the entertainment industry who've been out of work due to delayed or cancelled productions, streaming giant Netflix has set up a fund for those who are unable to earn a living while Hollywood is on hold. Per Variety, the $100 million relief fund is meant to help the approximately 120,000 crew members who have lost their jobs over the past few weeks. Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos relayed, in a statement, “The COVID-19 crisis is devastating for many industries, including the creative community. Almost all television and film production has now ceased globally — leaving hundreds of thousands of crew and cast without jobs." “These include electricians, carpenters and drivers, many of whom are paid hourly wages and work on a project-to-project basis," he added. "This community has supported Netflix through the good times, and we want to help them through these hard times, especially while governments are still figuring out what economic support they will provide.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/20/disney-and-pixars-onward-to-be-released-on-demand-tonight-and-disney-on-april-3-ign-news"] Reportedly, $15 million of the fund "will go to third parties and non-profits that offer emergency relief to out-of-work crew and cast in countries where there’s a large production base." Netflix stated, of that $15 million, it will "donate $1 million each to the SAG-AFTRA COVID-19 Disaster Fund, the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and the Actors Fund Emergency Assistance in the U.S., as well as $1 million between the AFC and Fondation des Artistes." Meanwhile, director Christopher Nolan has written an op-ed piece calling for cooperative aid to help save movie theaters chains and their workers. Celebrities have also been finding a way, in these unprecedented times, to entertain fans at home. This include's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse's Jake Johnson leaving voicemails for restless kids as Peter B. Parker. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=new-movies-coming-to-vod-early&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

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