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On Jan. 5, a top talent agent cut their stay at a post-Golden Globe party short, rushing home to get a jump on all the work that had piled up during the holiday break. Two days later, that home would burn down in the wildfires that decimated the Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas of Los Angeles in addition to part of Malibu. The work that felt so pressing just hours before didn’t matter as much in the face of unimaginable personal loss.
That’s a sentiment felt across the entertainment industry, which was hit hard by the disaster, with people left homeless by the fires at every media company, talent and PR agency, sometimes at the highest level. Non-urgent meetings have been rescheduled, important decisions have been postponed and work has shifted to remote or hybrid as hundreds of staffers had to evacuate or be ready to do so at a moment’s notice under evacuation warnings.
While Deadline has received a couple of complaints about individual media departments allegedly making staffers work under duress, including while evacuated, there has been a prevalent sense of camaraderie and people showing up for each other across the industry, whether it is executives keeping scheduled meetings just to check in on colleagues and make sure they are OK or a boss stepping in to help a lower-level staffer who has lost their homes navigate insurance companies or a person setting up a Venmo account for a co-worker whose house burnt down. The major studios and talent agencies have provided displaced employees with free or discounted temporary housing. CAA gave its employees Friday off at the end of an emotionally draining week.
“I haven’t seem people come together like this since Covid,” one entertainment executive said.
Flexibility is expected to continue in the coming days, with evacuated staffers in Los Angeles given the option to work from home.
Local TV production, which was paused in the early days of the fires, has resumed, largely indoors, as air quality in many areas Los Angeles remains at hazards levels. There are often accommodations for cast or crew. For instance, those impacted by the fires or not able to safely make it to set of CBS Studios shows are under no obligation to do so while receiving their regular pay.
“People are being mindful that we need to take care of below-the-line workers who just came out of a pandemic and two strikes and are finally getting on their feet,” one TV executive said. “We have to make sure not to derail that too much while also making sure everyone feels safe and comfortable.”
One of the popular slogans during the post-strike, industry contraction-impacted 2024 was “Survive Til 2025.” While there had been skepticism recently whether the much needed Hollywood recovery would come in 2025 or be pushed down the road, there still had been anticipation and enthusiasm. During the Golden Globe parties just a week ago, streaming executives spoke of plans to ramp up buying in January and hand out green lights in February.
With so many writers, producers, directors, their representatives as well as executives at every level impacted by the fires, it has been hard to focus on day-to-day buying and selling with many in the business still in shock from the enormity and gravity of the devastation that has touched directly or indirectly virtually everyone in Hollywood. Trying to carry on with work may remain difficult for awhile.
“Some people can’t get to grips with going to work,” one film distribution vet said. “How do you think about work with all this going on? So many things are being pushed.”
Eventually, things would go back but it could take awhile. “There’s no telling when things will return to normal, whatever normal means now,” an agency insider said.
While being cautious, an LA-based film sales and finance executive had a different outlook. “It’s still quite early to know the impact on the business,” the person said. “What’s sure is this is very bad for an already ailing broader LA economy. The next couple of weeks may well be slower than usual but I’m not expecting many projects to be delayed.”
Out of sensitivity to the personal tragedy experienced by so many Angelenos who were left with just the clothes of their backs, entertainment companies have held back announcements, and virtually every major Hollywood event over the past week had been canceled, including film and TV premieres and awards nominations.
Undestrandiby, awards season has come to a halt because the last thing on everyone’s mind right now is celebrating. That will be tested at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, which is proceeding with its 2025 edition, starting in 10 days.
“There is likely to be some impact,” one festival regular said about the festival’s timing so soon after the fires. “Some cast and industry may have been impacted already so will be thinking about rebuilding their homes and others may not want to leave their homes given concerns about fires, looting and burglary.”
The festival will have to walk the thin line between an industry that is grieving with its own while trying to keep going.
“It’s devastating seeing so many people – including friends – impacted like this,” a leading international seller said. “Sundance is rolling towards us and so far our packaging has been unaffected. It feels more important than ever to get jobs into the film business.”
While Sundance is only 10 days from now, a lot could happen between now in then, with evacuation orders still in place and winds picking up to dangerous levels again this week, prompting many in Hollywood to take a wait and see approach.
“We all know people who have lost their homes, everything they own, so it’s hard to focus on more than that, especially if you are someone who has lost your home,” an agency executive said. “There is too much uncertainty to think beyond the next few days.”
Andreas Wiseman and Dominic Patten contributed to this report.
