‘The Lovebirds’ Stars Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae to Skip SXSW Film Premiere Over Coronavirus Concerns
Paramount’s comedy will still screen at the festival
Brian Welk | March 6, 2020 @ 10:53 AM
Last Updated: March 13, 2020 @ 11:53 AM
Paramount Pictures
Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae, the two stars of Paramount’s upcoming comedy “The Lovebirds,” will not attend this year’s SXSW when their film makes its world premiere as part of the festival, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.
Director Michael Showalter also will not attend the festival in Austin, Texas, but the film will still screen at the event.
Paramount will now move the press efforts for “The Lovebirds” to Los Angeles ahead of its April 3 release.
Nanjiani recently announced he had to cancel his performance as part of a live table read at Film Independent on Wednesday, citing concerns over new cases of COVID-19 reported in LA county.
Hollywood continues to monitor SXSW before it kicks off next week on March 13 and runs through March 22. Already several media outlets, studios and tech companies have announced they are pulling out or limiting their activity at the festival. Among them are Starz, Lionsgate, Netflix, Apple, Amazon Studios, Twitter, Facebook and CNN.
So far, Texas health officials have confirmed 14 cases of the respiratory virus in the state.
Nanjiana tweeted Wednesday that he lives “with an immunocompromised person,” seemingly referring to his wife, Emily V. Gordon, who has Still’s disease. “So I need to be extra careful and avoid crowds right now. I need to do everything I can to protect those I love,” Najiani added.
“The Lovebirds” is a comedy, romance and mystery story about a couple deeply in love who go on the run from the law after a man they think is a cop murders another man and leaves them at the scene of the crime. Their love is tested as they work together to clear their names.
I love this script and everyone involved here, but in light of recent developments I have decided to pull out of this table read. I feel bad about it but it’s the only choice I could make. I’m sure my replacement will be someone talented and awesome, should you decide to go. https://t.co/qBnE0JJeZ3
57 Eye-Popping SXSW Portraits, From Emily Blunt to Tye Sheridan to Elle Fanning (Exclusive Photos)
"A Vigilante" actress Olivia Wilde and director Sarah Daggar-Nickson
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"A Vigilante" actress Olivia Wilde
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Galveston" actors Ben Foster, Melanie Laurent and Elle Fanning
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Galveston" actress Elle Fanning
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Summer 03" actor Paul Scheer, actress Joey King, director Becca Gleason and actress Andrea Savage
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Summer 03" actor Paul Scheer
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Summer 03" actress Joey King
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"A Quiet Place" actors Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"A Quiet Place" actor John Krasinski
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"A Quiet Place" actress Emily Blunt
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Lean on Pete" director Andrew Haigh and actor Charlie Plummer
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Lean on Pete" actor Charlie Plummer
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"1985" director and screenwriter Yen Tan, actors Aidan Langford, Virginia Madsen, Jamie Chung and Cory Michael Smith
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"1985" actress Jamie Chung
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Sadie" actor John Gallagher Jr. and Sophia Mitri, filmmaker Megan Griffiths, actors Melanie Lynskey and actor Tony Hale
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Sadie" actor Tony Hale
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Friday's Child" director AJ Edwards and actor Tye Sheridan
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Friday's Child" and "Ready Player One" actor Tye Sheridan
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"You Can Choose Your Family" actor Jim Gaffigan
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Family" director Laura Steinel with actresses Bryn Vale and Jessie Ennis
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Family" actress Jessie Ennis
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"The Legacy of a Whitefall Deer Hunter" actors Josh Brolin, Montana Jordan, director Jody Hill, and actor Danny McBride
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"The Legacy of a Whitefall Deer Hunter" actor Danny McBride
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Barry" writer Alec Berg and actor Bill Hader
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Barry" actor Bill Hader
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Who Are We Now" actress Julianne Nicholson and actor Matthew Newton
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Who Are We Now" actress Julianne Nicholson
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Fast Color" writer and producer Jordan Horowitz, actress Saniyya Sidney, and director and writer Julia Hart
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Fast Color" actress Saniyya Sidney
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"TransMilitary” subject Corporal Laila Villanueva, producer Jamie Coughlin, Captain Jennifer Peace, co-director Fiona Dawson, First Lieutenant El Cook and director Gabriel Silverman
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Transmilitary" director Gabriel Silverman with producer/writer Jamie Coughlin and co-director Fiona Dawson
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Prospect" cinematographer and co-director Zeek Earl, actors Sophie Thatcher, Anwan Glover and Sheila Vand and co-director Christopher Caldwell
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Prospect" actress Sophie Thatcher
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"The Unicorn" actors Darrell Britt-Gibson, Lauren Lapkus, Maya Kazan, Nick Rutherford and director Robert Schwartzman
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"The Unicorn" director Robert Schwartzman
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Support the Girls" actresses Dylan Gelula, Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, AJ Michalca
'Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Support the Girls" actress Haley Lu Richardson
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Wildling" composer Paul Haslinger, actor Troy Ruptash and director Fritz Bohm
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Wildling" actor Troy Ruptash
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"The Breaker Upperers" actresses Jackie Van Beek and Madeleine Sami
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"The Breaker Upperers" actress Jackie Van Beek
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"The Breaker Upperers" actress Madeleine Sami
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Unfriended: Dark Web" actress Betty Gabriel
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Unfriended: Dark Web" producer Timur Bekmambetov, director Stephen Susco and actor Colin Woodell
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"First Match" actor Colman Domingo, actress Elvire Emanuelle, director Olivia Newman, and actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"First Match" actress Elvire Emanuelle
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"First Match" actor Colman Domingo
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"First Match" actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Most Likely to Murder" actress Rachel Bloom
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Weed the People" director Abby Epstein and actress Ricki Lane
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Weed the People" director Abby Epstein
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
Members of the band Dorothy: Eliot Lorango, Jason Ganberg, Dorothy Martin and Eli Wulfmeier
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
Dorothy Martin of Dorothy
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Don't Leave Home" director Michael Tully and actress Anna Margaret Hollyman
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Don't Leave Home" director Michael Tully
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Boundaries" director Shana Feste, actress Vera Farmiga and actor Lewis MacDougall
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
"Boundaries" actress Vera Farmiga
Photographed by Justin Bettman for TheWrap
1 of 58
SXSW 2018: Stars like John Krasinki, Vera Farmiga and more sat down with TheWrap for an interview and photo shoot