SATURDAY UPDATE: ON SET DRAMA: SAG Shuts Down David O. Russell Film.
All new details…
FRIDAY PM: Details are sketchy, but sources tell me that David O. Russell’s risque political comedy Nailed has been put on hold while shooting in South Carolina because of a “cash crunch” that’s causing problems with SAG, IATSE and the Teamsters. Co-stars Jessica Biel and Jake Gyllenhaal (the pic also stars James Marsden, Catherine Keener, and Tracy Morgan) “are waiting to see if the movie will continue. It’s kind of amazing, really,” one source with insider knowledge about the production told me Friday. There are a lot of rumors circulating, and I’m trying to separate what’s fact and what’s fiction. But I can confirm the pic’s predicament is solely related to its financing, not to its helmer. True, the temperamental director is known for turbulent shoots especially when it comes to actors. Already on Nailed, Jimmy Caan quit two weeks ago after he and the helmer couldn’t agree on the best way for the actor to choke to death on a cookie during a scene. Russell also had well-documented differences with George Clooney (the two came to blows on the set of Three Kings) and Lily Tomlin (profane exchanges on the set of I Heart Huckabees… See my previous Lily ‘Liberated’ By F-Bomb/C-Word Video). But now the pic’s woes go way beyond just a tense set.
You would have to be insane to WANT to work with David O. Russell. This guy has no idea what the word “collaboration” means.
SAG needs to picket his sets for cruel and unusual punishment of actors.
Be sure to keep us up to date with this. What are the stories floating around? Will they find other financing?
I’m sure the money people have some questions about the film, like:
Why cast Jake Gyllenhaal, who looks too immature to be elected president of fraternity, as a Congressman?
How many “risque political comedy” films about socialized medicine are actually seen by people?
Was Futurama really known for the clever subtly of its satire?
And I’m sure they have a lot more questions along those lines.
“I’m sure the money people have some questions about the film…”
They asked those questions 3 weeks AFTER filming started?!?
Was the movie “put on hold” or was the movie “shut down”.
SAG will shut down a movie if the production company doesn’t have a bond to cover the actor wages.
IATSE has the same type of deal.
I bet the movie was “shut down” and the actors and crew were told to walk off or leave by there union reps….
When you say Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel and the other name actors are all standing by to see if the movie can continue to completion.
does that mean there,re still in SC ?
I really hope they can resolve the issues thier having and continue with the film real soon
This is just par for the course! I’ve been there since the first day and it has been on-going drama, drama, drama. They’ll be up and filming any day now …. this same thing happened LAST week too! You just have to “go with the flow”. It’s all good.
Furious D, you sound way too immature to be posting here let alone judging Jake G. on his maturity level.
Thanks for updates Nikki. Hope it does get resolved and they can finish the film.
I worked as non union actor on this film, the crew did a walkout last week for 3 hours during filming due to fact they didnt get a paycheck. The checks arrived by 9 pm and they went back to work. Seems the backers of this film are strapped for cash or they are looking for new financing of this project.
I am so sick of bloggers/journalists publishing wrong information. I was on set the day James Caan was there and he did not quit. He was fired. Caan has some issues. David, the director, is amazing. Rumors about him are totally spun out. CAAN lost it – pushed over equipment. The director gave him a “direction” – not unusual or anything – and he couldn’t do it or understand. How old is he anyway? Caan lost it and yelled at a 12 year old little girl actress on set and made her cry. He was fired. Check your sources!
extra–i’m glad at least a couple people around here know what they are talking about. i too work on set, though i wasn’t there to evidence the whole Caan drama..as the director, David has no control of the financing, and under the pressure of knowing that his project might not work because some asshole isn’t following through with the funding, his pace at work is impressive.
what you see on screen is the tip of the iceberg, everything below the surface and behind the scenes is a world we could never understand unless we were part of it.
i hope it all works out, from the little that i have seen and known, the director and his supporting team members deserve their hard work to pay off.