Apple series Ray James to film in the UK and other locations this autumn

Apple TV+ sci-fi series Ray James is set to go into production this autumn, filming in the UK, Japan, New York and Jordan.

The high-end TV show, inspired by HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds, is currently in pre-production and is expected to start filming in the UK, mostly on location, from August under strict Covid-19 health and safety guidelines.

The production team are currently making sure they can put in all the isolating measures and ensure that the sets are compliant with Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA guidelines for US cast and crew. There will be Zone A (anyone frequently interacting with cast on set) where people have to have Covid tests three times a week, as well as isolate two weeks before starting work, and Zone B (other individuals on set), which will incorporate UK guidelines of testing once a week. Plus, high cleaning protocols.

This is now the common approach for all productions adjusting to the “new normal” in the Covid-19 environment. Every major film and TV production should have a ‘Covid team’, including a supervisor, in place to ensure health and safety protocols are arranged and maintained on sets.

Ray James is being executive produced by Audrey Chon, Chad Feehan and Amy Kaufman, with Simon Kinberg and David Weil set to write and executive produce. Jakob Verbruggen will direct the first episode, who previously worked with Kinberg on Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone.