Angels in the Asylum, a new British indie film starring Simon Pegg and Katherine Waterston, has been delayed indefinitely after running out money halfway through production.
The upcoming movie was forced to pause filming in February, 15 days into a month-long shoot. Crew members are said to be owed at least £600,000 and there is currently no clear indication when the £5m project will resume production. The cast, meanwhile, has received payment due to their fees being protected under Equity union agreements.
Inspired by true events, Angels In the Asylum co-stars Minnie Driver, Lesley Nicol, Rose Williams, Aurora Perrineau, and Alex Jennings. Cush Jumbo and Miriam Margolyes were originally attached. The story centres on the women who were forcibly confined in isolation at Surrey’s Long Grove Asylum in the 1930s after being deemed to be typhoid carriers.
According to Deadline, those who have worked on the film speak highly about the strength of the script.
First-time feature director Rob Sorrenti serves as producer alongside Heather Greenwood, who co-produced Gavin & Stacey: The Finale. Pegg is an executive producer, though he has not invested in the film and is yet to be paid for his work on the project. The Crown director Steven Daldry is also an executive producer.
In a statement (via Deadline) Sorrenti and Greenwood said it was “devastating” that Angels in the Asylum did not have the funds to carry on shooting. They are in talks with other financiers in a bid to resurrect the movie and “remain determined to find a solution.”
Angels In the Asylum was able to begin production thanks to funding from other investors, with Sorrenti and Greenwood also injecting cash into the project. Around 150 people were left out of work when the production was paused, with crew members being owed at least three weeks’ wages, expenses, and holiday pay.
According to Deadline, some crew members have been left in financial jeopardy, while a small number of people are pursuing legal claims in an effort to recover the money they are owed. Bectu and Equity are supporting members impacted by the hiatus.
When production paused in February, producers said they hoped it would be a week before filming could resume. “We have been strung along, it’s unbelievable,” said one anonymous crew member. Another source added: “The producers were in over their heads.”
Sorrenti and Greenwood, who are also yet to receive payment, said they are working tirelessly to resolve the funding gap.
In an email update on Tuesday (March 25), Sorrenti and Greenwood told the crew: “We appreciate how difficult this is for everyone. We’re incredibly sorry. We endeavour to give you all an update as soon as possible, but the situation is incredibly complex… Please know we are in this with you, neither of us intended to be in this situation and have been personally affected by it too.”
Per a recording obtained by Deadline, Greenwood told the crew: “This film is going to get made. The financiers want this film to be made and will continue to support it. We are in a situation that is unprecedented.”
Pegg also addressed the team. “We’re making something really special here, something important. This is a crisis, but it’s also an opportunity, and we’ll be back soon,” he said.
When the crew were asked to finish the day, Pegg joked: “The last scenes of the day are in there with me and Alex Jennings, and we’re both really entertaining. If you fancy sticking around for that, we’d love to fucking have you.”
In a statement, Sorrenti and Greenwood said: “Angels In the Asylum is a story of an extreme injustice in the 1930s where numerous women were locked away in a mental asylum, one we feel extremely passionate about bringing to public recognition. It has taken 15 years to bring the film into production. It was devastating when we were forced to halt filming due to our second round of financing failing to materialise. After being let down we were forced into hiatus.
“Since that time, we have been desperately trying to raise finance with the goal of addressing our outstanding obligations to both our cast and crew. We have also put some of our own funds into the project, but sadly, it hasn’t been enough to rectify the situation. We remain determined to find a solution. We also want to make it very clear that we, the producers, have not been paid for our work on the production.”
John Cairns, the CEO of Parkland Pictures, which is distributing the film, said he remains interested in helping Angels In the Asylum find funding. “This won’t be the end of the road for Angels in the Asylum. It is an extremely good script/story and everyone has worked very hard and is determined to find a way to complete the film with everyone paid,” he said.
In other news, Simon Pegg’s long-time collaborator Nick Frost is reportedly in talks to play Hagrid in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series for HBO.