For Netflix as for the production team, “it was better not to see” this science fiction film with Halle Berry. “The Mothership” will never be broadcast on the platform even though it was entirely filmed.
We told you at the end of January about Netflix’s cancellation of the science fiction film The Mothership with Halle Berry. This is (still) rare for a film whose filming has already been completed… But if we are to believe the people involved in the film, it’s for the best!
It is always surprising to see that a film whose shooting has finished and which must enter post-production will ultimately never see the light of day. This is the decision taken by Netflix last month for The Mothership and the reason given at that time was to be able to benefit from tax deductions.
During a press conference held last Wednesday, Netflix representatives revealed that the film’s cancellation was the result of a mutual decision between its stars, the producers and the platform itself, as per reports Entertainment Weekly.
Everyone agrees
“This doesn’t happen often, it’s very rare“said Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer.”Considering how many things we produce, it’s very rare. But in this case, there were a lot of production and creative problems, and everyone, the talent and us, agreed that it was better not to see the film.“
She did not give further details, but added: “Everyone felt it was the right thing to do not to release it, and to do something else together afterwards“.
Entertainment Weekly attempted to contact Halle Berry’s representatives who did not respond to their request.
Tax deductions
This decision was rather poorly received by the industry following the choice of various studios to suspend projects already filmed in order to obtain tax deductions. As a reminder, Warner Bros. was the first major studio to make this decision by stopping three almost completed films: Coyote vs. Acme, Batgirl and Scoob: Holiday Haunt.
In The Mothership, Halle Berry played the role of a mother who suddenly finds herself widowed, struggling to raise her children after the mysterious disappearance of her husband.
A year after his disappearance, she discovers an alien mothership beneath their farm, which leads her and her children on a wild adventure in search of answers and the missing being.
When Bela Bajaria speaks of “something else“, she refers to the contract that Halle Berry has concluded with Netflix for several films. The actress has already released a first, Murdered, of which she is also the director, and we will next see her in The Union with JK Simmons, Mike Colter and Mark Wahlberg, an action thriller which has indeed been announced for this year.
Find all movies from Netflix.