Why Netflix pulled the plug on Halle Berry's 'The Mothership': a tale of Hollywood's new economics
Recently, we've heard more about series or films being cancelled. Is this a new trend in Hollywood? The surge of streaming services has led creators to churn out new projects, irrespective of whether it's for Netflix, HBO or another platform. Some have found it painful on realising that this surge is slowing down, and major players are being compelled to tighten their belts and make savings. The film "Batgirl", intended to enhance HBO's offering, was one such casualty.
2 Feb 2024 | updated: 7 March 2024 09:28
Netflix have also recently had to abort a major, star-laden project. However, the reasons were different.
As we've previously reported, Netflix let go of the well-advanced movie "The Mothership", in which Halle Berry played the leading role. The story follows Sara, a woman whose husband suddenly disappears. On their farm, Sara and her children discover a mysterious object connected to the man's disappearance.
It's suggested by various reports in the media that filming was already complete and the creators decided, during post-production, that some scenes needed to be re-shot. Unfortunately, this was not possible due to the young cast. The children had grown since 2021, and the consequent adjustments to production were too expensive for Netflix to accommodate.
Netflix shares views on the cancellation of "The Mothership"
Bella Bajara, one of Netflix's directors, who is accountable for the platform’s content, acknowledged that such situations are very rare. She underscored that everyone associated with the production, including the actors and Netflix itself, agreed that it would be preferable to avoid showing the film in its imperfect state.
"It's difficult to say that we gleaned any lesson from this. It happens so infrequently. And it should be remembered that up to 150 people were involved in this, held together by team dynamics, their shared creative passion. Sometimes the outcomes are not what we anticipated", Bajara explained. "In this case, there were several issues connected to production and the crew. Everyone agreed not to proceed with it, possibly considering potential future collaboration", she added.
On the internet today, the only evidence of the film's existence are a few snippets from preparations for the movie featuring Halle Berry. Who knows, maybe in the future, the unfinished version will be available to internet users somewhere. In the meantime, Berry maintains a contract with Netflix and is preparing for another project with Mark Wahlberg titled "The Union".
