Halle Berry-led sci-fi thriller The Mothership will not be released after Netflix decided to stop post-production.
The Mothership, which completed filming in 2021, was originally set to be released in 2022 and a brief clip was teased by the streamer in a trailer for the year’s big releases. But the film was the victim of multiple delays and has now been scrapped entirely, according to Variety.
Reporting by The Wrap has sources claiming the decision was not “taken lightly”. The film allegedly required “significant reshoots” which would have been expensive and difficult with child actors having aged.
It was written and directed by British Oscar nominee Matthew Charman, who co-wrote the script for Steven Spielberg’s 2015 drama Bridge of Spies. He also co-wrote the Michelle Williams-starring romance Suite Francaise.
The news follows other similar scrapped films, such as the $90m DC adventure Batgirl which was cancelled while in post-production and last year’s reveal that Coyote vs Acme would also not be released despite completion of production. Both were the result of studio Warners choosing a tax write-down. The latter, a live-action/animation hybrid starring John Cena, has since been shopped around.
Last year Netflix decided not to release two completed films – thrillers The Inheritance and House/Wife – but allowed the makers to shop them elsewhere.
This week saw an impressive Q4 report from Netflix with over 13 million new subscribers, ahead of predictions. The platform also performed well during the announcement of this year’s Oscar nominations with a tally of 18.
The Mothership starred Oscar-winner Berry as a single mother who finds an extraterrestrial object on her farm. Berry has worked with Netflix before on the release of Bruised, her directorial debut, and will next be seen in the streamer’s action thriller The Union alongside Mark Wahlberg.
Neither Berry nor Netflix has made an official statement.
