Why Idris Elba’s Netflix Western Film Paused Production

The upcoming Netflix Western film The Harder They Fall featuring Idris Elba, Regina King, and Jonathan Majors, has paused on filming after a member of the production team tested positive for COVID-19. 

Production was immediately halted on Thursday night (Oct. 15), but is scheduled to resume next week. Entertainment Weekly reports that none of the principal cast, which also includes Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, or Zazie Beetz, tested positive. 

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The Harder They Fall follows Nat Love (played by Majors) who discovers that the man (Elba) who killed his parents 20 years ago is being released from prison, according to Deadline. Love decides to round up his gang to track down his parents’ killer and seek revenge. 

Last month, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the actors are currently in “cowboy camp,” learning all skills from the Wild Wild West including horseback riding and gunslinging before heading to New Mexico to continue shooting the film. Back in March, Elba was one of the first celebrities to publicly announce that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. The award-winning actor was sheltering in place in New Mexico while production on Netflix Western was initially paused as a response to the global pandemic. 

Jay-Z, James Lassiter, and Lawrence Bender will sit as producers while British singer-songwriter The Bullitts also known as Jeymes Samuel takes the reigns as the director and producer.

Netflix has not announced when the feature film will head to its streaming platform.