Simon Pegg’s new British movie gets “devastating” blow as it halts halfway through filming

The production of Simon Pegg’s latest British film has suffered a significant setback, as shooting was abruptly stopped halfway through the process.

In a nutshell, I’m raving about “Angels in the Asylum,” a gripping tale that unfolds with Katherine Waterson and Minnie Driver gracing our screens. This film, masterfully directed by Rob Sorrenti, is inspired by a heart-wrenching real-life event: women in the 1930s were unjustly confined at Surrey’s Long Grove Asylum, labeled as carriers of typhoid.

Meanwhile, Deadline states that filming was halted midway through production in February as funds ran dry, a situation that is being debated about its causes.

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According to Sorrenti and producer Heather Greenwood, the promised funding from distributor Parkland Pictures hasn’t appeared yet, but John Cairns, the CEO of Parkland, denies this claim, stating that while they were involved as a sales agency, there was no formal financial agreement beyond that role.

He mentioned that the arrangement for a potential tax credit via Parkland Film Capital hadn’t been concluded yet, and even if it did get finalized, there would still be a substantial financial shortfall in the budget.

Initially, funding was provided by investors, but both Sorrenti and Greenwood contributed their own funds to the project as well.

The break has resulted in approximately 150 individuals losing their jobs, leaving a debt of around £600,000 in unpaid wages for the past three weeks, along with additional expenses and vacation pay due to them.

Some individuals have communicated that they face serious financial risk due to challenging circumstances within their industry, with some even filing lawsuits. Additionally, there have been concerns raised about inadequate communication and misleading optimism, as producers expressed hope that production would restart a week after the halt in February, only for this not to materialize.

In this situation, it appears that Pegg, recognized as an executive producer, along with Sorrenti and Greenwood, are yet to receive payment for their contributions to the project. They have been actively engaged in addressing the financial matter concerning their compensation.

In their statement, they expressed that it was deeply disappointing when our second round of funding didn’t come through and we had to stop filming. Following this setback, we found ourselves in a period of pause or break.

Ever since then, we’ve been tirelessly seeking financial resources, aiming to fulfill our financial commitments towards our cast and crew who are yet to be compensated.

Additionally, we’ve personally invested in this project, yet unfortunately, these contributions haven’t been sufficient to resolve the current predicament. However, our commitment to finding a solution remains unwavering. We feel it’s important to clarify that as producers, we have not received compensation for our work during production.

In a distinct announcement, Parkland’s Cairns stated, “The journey for ‘Angels in the Asylum’ doesn’t stop here. This is an exceptional screenplay/story, and we’ve all put in tremendous effort. We are committed to finding a solution that allows us to finish this film, ensuring everyone involved is compensated.

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2025-03-27 22:19