cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/26464803

Angels in the Asylum, a British indie film starring Simon Pegg and Katherine Waterston, has stopped shooting indefinitely after running out of cash midway through production, Deadline can reveal.

Angels in the Asylum was mounted without its financing fully in place and had to halt filming in February, 15 days into a month-long shoot. There is no clarity on when the £5M ($6.4M) production might restart as producers scramble to bring in new finance.

Angels in the Asylum set out to tell an important story about women incarcerated against their wishes, but has created a messy legacy in which crew members are said to be owed at least £600,000 in wages. Cast pay was ringfenced in an escrow account under Equity union agreements.

…

The reasons for the financial strife are disputed. The position of Sorrenti and Greenwood is that funding under an arrangement with distributor Parkland Pictures has not materialized. In a statement, they 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.”

Parkland CEO John Cairns told Deadline that his company had no agreement to finance Angels in the Asylum beyond its work as a sales agent. He added that proposed tax credit funding through Parkland Film Capital was not finalized and, even if it was, there would still be a “very large gap” in the budget.

…

Angels in the Asylum was able to begin production with funding from other investors, while Sorrenti and Greenwood also put cash into the project. Around 150 people were left out of work when the film went on hiatus, with crew members being owed at least three weeks’ wages, expenses, and holiday pay. Suppliers are also said to be significantly out of pocket.

Some crew members said they had been left in financial jeopardy amid precarious conditions in the UK film and TV production industry. 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.

Those caught up in the collapse are furious, with some complaining that the issues have been compounded by poor communication and false hope from those running the production. When filming paused in February, producers said they hoped it would be a week before production could resume. “We have been strung along, it’s unbelievable,” said one person. Another source added: “The producers were in over their heads.”

The position of the producers is that they have been working tirelessly to resolve the funding gap. Sorrenti and Greenwood said they have also not been paid and are working to resuscitate the film without remuneration. They are said to be heartbroken about what has taken place.