A massive power outage in Los Angeles’ Hollywood neighborhood left Paramount Pictures in the dark on Wednesday, multiple individuals on the lot told TheWrap.
The iconic movie studio lot was down for at least a few hours, and was fully restored around 5:30 p.m. PT Many lot employees had left for the day, after a text messaging alert service said Paramount officials had no information on when the power would come back on.
A Paramount spokesperson confirmed the outage affected a wider part of Hollywood, not just the studio lot.
Social media reports said an electric transformer exploded in the area (see a photo of the alleged explosion here) — which is presumably not the kind of transformer the studio likes to see wreak havoc. The Los Angeles Water and Power Department did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.
The department did respond to several panicked tweets saying a crew was en route to the area. A nearby Gold’s Gym, which is typically crowded due to the number of onscreen talent and Angelenos who flock there, was also left in the dark.
“Should our film crew wait it out or go home?” one assistant director on the lot tweeted directly at the LAWPD.
It was initially unclear which productions were affected by the power outage.
Shows like NBC juggernaut “This Is Us,” the syndicated talk show “Dr. Phil” and the Melissa McCarthy-developed comedy “Nobodies” are currently on the lot.