Ice Cube Drops Out of Comedy Over Covid-19 Vaccine
Like many other business and industries, Covid-19 vaccines are becoming mandated on many Hollywood productions. This week, a Hollywood movie star left a project — and a reported $9 million paycheck — over the demand that they receive a Covid-19 vaccination prior to the start of filming.
The actor is Ice Cube; the film is a comedy titled — somewhat ironically — Oh Hell No. Cube was to star in the film opposite Jack Black, but now has dropped out of the role. Here is more info, via The Hollywood Reporter:
Ice Cube and Black partnered on the project in June. The Sony film was looking to shoot this winter in Hawaii with Kitao Sakurai, the filmmaker behind Netflix’s breakout comedy Bad Trip, in the director’s seat. Producers on Oh Hell No made the request that cast on the project would need to be vaccinated.
Over the summer, studios and various trade guilds that work on Hollywood productions struck a deal that allows for vaccine mandates in what’s called “Zone A” — which includes the leading actors, who typically cannot perform while wearing a mask or social distancing.
Oh Hell No is not the first Hollywood production affected by Covid vaccines, or the lack thereof. In July, Sean Penn announced he wouldn’t return to work on his Starz limited series Gaslit until everyone on the production was vaccinated. Penn compromised with the studio and finally returned to work on the show in late September, working only with vaccinated crew members. As for Oh Hell No, Sony is now looking for an actor to replace Ice Cube.