Television fans whose favorites were cut short in the 2019-2020 season are undoubtedly anxious and excited for shows to return, but the return to Riverdale production is coming at a high personal price for star Lili Reinhart. She has shared her blunt feelings about quarantining for the show's return for Season 5.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, filming ground to an industry-wide halt earlier this year, including on The CW's Riverdale as it was preparing to film its final episodes of Season 4. To safely return to production in Vancouver, the cast is facing quarantine and additional new measures that were not part of the process prior to the pandemic. Lili Reinhart opened up about how she is feeling about the situation, telling Nylon:
We stopped during the prom episode, so I have to fit back in that prom dress. Five months later, we're all going to be tan, maybe a little bit thicker. I certainly am. I genuinely feel like a prisoner, going back to work, because I cannot leave Canada. That doesn't feel good. You can't go home for Thanksgiving, can't visit your family. No one can come visit you unless they quarantine for two weeks. It just feels fucked… I’m very lucky, but it's like, ‘I need to keep going. I need to keep going.
One of the harshest parts of Lili Reinhart’s prep for Riverdale is not getting to see or receive visits from her family. There are also some more fixable things. Reinhart revealed costuming issues as she reunites with Betty’s prom dress.
Riverdale was among those shows forced to end production on the previous season early, leading to an impromptu season finale. The (sort of) good news is that The CW's lineup has been able to restart production sooner than many thought it would. Riverdale is still aiming for an early 2021 return date with Lili Reinhart. The show will have a grisly cliffhanger to recover from when it returns.
Personally speaking, the struggles that Lili Reinhart is describing are brutal. Kudos to her for sharing how lucky she is despite the circumstances that are less than ideal. Or, to quote Reinhart, "fucked." Of course, it is a genuinely tough time to be in the entertainment industry overall. Actors are not the only ones feeling the pressure. Dancing with the Stars made its married pros quarantine separately ahead of its return, as just one example.
For Lili Reinhart, the situation has left her feeling like a prisoner due to her inability to leave Canada. Riverdale films in Vancouver, alongside many other CW dramas. Hopefully, the cast can come together off of the set. The actors have shown a propensity for getting a good rib in at each other.
For her part, Lili Reinhart sounds like she is hanging in there. The Riverdale actress recently spoke out regarding the importance of bisexual representation on television. Reinhart’s honest take on quarantine is yet another example of her speaking her mind.
You can currently stream past seasons of Riverdale on Netflix alongside new 2020 content. Season 5 of Riverdale is set to arrive after this fall’s premieres in January 2021.
