Some pretty sad news is coming in from the Hollywood forefront with Travis Scott’s Astroworld fest cancelled due to a crowd surge that left 8 dead and several injured. On the other hand, production on Black Panther sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been shut down temporarily as Letitia Wright recovers from an on-set injury. Read on for more details.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever shuts down production as Letitia Wright recovers from on-set injury
Even as Letitia Wright, who plays the genius inventor Shuri, recovers from an on-set injury she had suffered in late August, Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will temporarily shut down production, which will resume in early 2022, reports 'Variety'. Wright was injured when she shooting for a sequence involving a stunt rig on location in Boston. Director Ryan Coogler and the rest of the production crew have been filming mostly in Atlanta since Wright was injured. She stayed on in London as the shoot continued without her.
"Letitia ... is looking forward to returning to work early 2022," a statement from Wright's reps reads. "Letitia kindly asks that you keep her in your prayers." The film is set to release on November 11, 2022. Wright joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Shuri, the younger sister of the late Chadwick Boseman's character T'Challa in triple Oscar-winning Black Panther (2018). Not much is known about the plot of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but Shuri is expected to take on a larger role following Boseman's death due to cancer in August 2020.
The other Black Panther cast members include Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong'o, Florence Kasumba and Angela Bassett.
Travis Scott's Astroworld fest cancelled after 8 die, 23 hospitalised in crowd surge
American rapper Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas, was cancelled on Saturday after a massive crowd surge on Friday night (U.S. Central Time) left eight people dead and more than 300 injured, including a 10-year-old, according to local officials. More than 50,000 fans had gathered during Scott's performance at the festival outside NRG Park, reports 'Variety' quoting 'Houston Chronicle'. As many as 23 people were hospitalised and more than 300 treated throughout the day.
Scott's Friday night set was broadcast live on Apple Music. It featured his usual high-energy performance style, along with an extended appearance from Drake. The Astroworld Festival was founded by Scott in 2018. At a press conference following the tragedy, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pea outlined the timeline of the tragedy. He said that at 9 p.m. (local time) on Friday, the crowd began surging forward during Scott's set, which caused the rapper to pause the show several times in order to ask security to help out fans.
Members of the fire department went into the dense crowd to rescue the injured. At 9.38 p.m. the "mass-casualty incident" was triggered, at which time CPR began to be administered to several unconscious fans. Meanwhile, social media posts show the frenzied scene as officials tried to rescue concert goers, reports 'Variety'. Executive Assistant Chief of the fire department, Larry Satterwhite, said, "It happened all at once. It seemed like it happened over the course of just a few minutes. A lot of times, kids don't make the best decisions. Because they're young and amped up. I just think it was so many people and a passion to see this entertainer. I don't know, and a lot of bad decisions." The rapper has a huge fan following among young people.
"Our hearts are broken," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. Houston is in Harris County, Texas. "People go to these events looking for a good time. It's not the kind of event where you expect to find out about fatalities," the judge added.
(Source: IANS)
