The decision by Netflix to cancel the release of the Halle Berry sci-fi film “The Mothership” was a mutual one made by the streamer and the film’s producers and talent, including actress Halle Berry, according to the company’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria.
Bajaria, who will serve as interim chair of Netflix’s film division after the departure of longtime head Scott Stuber at the end of March, explained the decision at a media event hosted by the streamer on Wednesday to showcase its upcoming films and series.
While remaining light on specifics, Bajaria said the sci-fi film had “lots of production issues” and said Netflix decided to cancel the release after holding a meeting with the production team and talent. “The Mothership” was set to be the directorial debut of Matthew Charman who earned an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for the 2014 Steven Spielberg film “Bridge of Spies.”
“Everyone felt it was the right thing not to release it and to do something else together eventually,” Bajaria said.
“The Mothership” was set to star Berry as a single mother who discovers a mysterious alien object underneath their home on a rural farm one year after her husband’s disappearance. Omari Hardwick and Molly Parker were also to star in the film which was produced by Fred Berger and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones.
Berry is still slated to appear in another Netflix project, “The Union,” an action thriller in which she plays a woman who drags her former high school boyfriend into the world of espionage, alongside Mark Wahlberg and J.K. Simmons.
TheWrap has reached out to the producers and to representatives for Berry for comment.
UPDATE: 3 PM PT — Correction to previous version of story stating Stuber had already stepped down as chairman of film division. Stuber will depart at the end of March.
