We won’t get into the speculating game with this one just yet, but production on “Being Mortal,” Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut, has been suspended indefinitely.
Fox Searchlight released a statement saying it had no choice but to suspend the shoot after a “complaint” was filed to them against someone working on the film. The studio specified that Ansari was not at all involved with the mysterious incident that occurred, but also wouldn’t name any names.
“Being Mortal” stars Bill Murray, and Seth Rogen.
The film is based on Atul Gawande’s nonfiction book “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End”. Shooting had started on March 28 and and was half way through before the halt in production this week. The plan was to release the film sometime in 2023.
I suspect this will become a much bigger story in the hours and days to come. You don’t shut down a film with an eight figure budget. You just don’t. Something very serious must have occurred for such a drastic decision to have been made.
Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.