A Netflix executive is defending the streaming platform’s decision to scrap Halle Berry’s latest movie ahead of its release, citing “production” and “creative” issues.
Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, confirmed to reporters at a press event on Wednesday that the creative team behind The Mothership, starring the Oscar winner, was also in favour of pulling the plug on the film for the sake of securing a tax write-off.
“If you think about how many things we make, it’s a rare thing,” Bajaria said, according to Entertainment Weekly. “But it was one where there were lots of production issues, creative issues, and everybody on both sides, the talent and us, just agreed that it was better to not watch it.”
Though Bajaria kept mum on specifics, she added: “Everybody just felt like it was the right thing to not do it, and to do something else together eventually.”
Representatives for Halle Berry did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
The Mothership, directed by Matthew Charman, follows Sara Morse (Halle Berry), who is adjusting to life as a single mother after her husband mysteriously vanishes.
Along with her children, she discovers an extraterrestrial object buried underneath the family’s farmhouse that might have played a role in his disappearance.
Filming on the science-fiction thriller was completed nearly three years ago. Since then, the movie has reportedly been beset by post-production delays. Reshoots would have included child actors who have since aged.
Netflix’s decision to cancel the release of The Mothership isn’t without precedent. In 2022, Warner Bros. killed the release of Batgirl despite advance buzz surrounding Leslie Grace’s portrayal of the title character and Michael Keaton’s long-awaited reprisal of his Batman role.
And last year, the studio also nixed Coyote vs. Acme, starring John Cena, even though director Dave Green said his film had won praise from test audiences. As of November, Green was reportedly seeking a new distributor for the film.
Even so, news that The Mothership had been scrapped is surprising given Berry’s stature as an Oscar winner who, in 2021, signed a multi-picture partnership that will see her continue to produce and star in feature films for Netflix.
Still, fans clamouring for Halle’s next project won’t have to wait too long. This summer, she’ll appear in Netflix’s The Union, co-starring Mark Wahlberg and J.K. Simmons.