Why Netflix Hid Halle Berry’s Sci-Fi Movie You’ll Never Get to Watch

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Summary

  • Netflix’s The Mothership, starring Halle Berry, completed principal photography but was later shelved.
  • The film faced production issues, including delays, COVID-19-related restrictions, and the child actors aging out of their roles.
  • The Mothership remains defunct, as the film is in an unreleasable state and needs substantial backing to be revived.

Netflix produced an original science fiction movie featuring Halle Berry that was filmed and completed, but has been indefinitely postponed, so it won’t be shown to viewers. There have been well-known instances of almost-completed films that were kept hidden for various reasons, such as Jerry Lewis’ “The Day the Clown Cried” from 1972, which still hasn’t been released. The storyline and content were considered inappropriate due to its focus on a German clown imprisoned during the Holocaust, who was used to trick Jewish children into gas chambers. This is a sensitive topic to handle.

Due to some financial mismanagement by Warner Bros. over recent years, films such as Batgirl (which was already in post-production) and Scoob! Holiday Haunt (a prequel to 2020’s Scoob!) were put on hold for tax purposes. Fortunately, a few movies like the Looney Tunes film Coyote vs. Acme managed to avoid being canceled when Warner Bros. sold its rights. Unfortunately, it seems that The Mothership, a Netflix production, will never reach audiences because it has completed principal photography but may not be released due to its sci-fi genre.

What Is Netflix’s Sci-Fi Flick Starring Halle Berry, The Mothership, About?

2021 marked the commencement of the production process for “The Mothership,” with Matt Charman serving as both writer and director. Charman is well-known for his work on Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” and the movie “Oasis,” starring Richard Madden. This project was slated to be Charman’s directorial debut, featuring an ensemble cast that included Berry, Molly Parker, John Ortiz, and Omari Hardwick. Originally planned for release on a streaming service in 2022, snippets of the film were shown in Netflix’s 2022 Movie Preview; however, unfortunately, it did not come to fruition as expected.

In the starring role of “The Mothership” is Berry, portraying a rural farmer and mother whose life takes a dramatic turn for the worse when her husband is taken by extraterrestrials. After his abduction, Berry and her children stumble upon an alien artifact on their land, prompting them to embark on a quest to find their missing family patriarch. “The Mothership” aimed to delve into classic science fiction themes while incorporating elements of mystery and family dynamics. Regrettably, it missed its initial launch date, with Netflix ultimately deciding to scrap the project in 2024.

Why Did Netflix Ultimately Decide To Shelve The Mothership?

When The Mothership was taken off the release schedule, Netflix cited creative differences as the reason, but it might have been a combination of factors. The movie was deep into post-production and faced numerous setbacks, leading to multiple delays in its planned premiere. However, The Hollywood Reporter revealed additional details about the film’s problematic production, suggesting that COVID-19 filming constraints and continual script revisions were major hurdles. Additionally, there was a change in Netflix leadership who reportedly weren’t as enthusiastic about the movie as the previous producers, which could have spelled trouble for the chaotic production.

Nevertheless, it appears that the potential demise of The Mothership might be linked to the child actors from the movie. This predicament wasn’t caused by them, though. During post-production, which extended over several years, these young performers had grown beyond their original roles, making them look significantly older than during principal photography. This became a significant issue when the studio requested reshoots. Typically, reshoots are common in most productions. However, Netflix had already invested an estimated $40 million in this film. Additional reshoots would likely escalate the budget to unacceptable levels for Netflix, as they might have needed to employ digital de-aging techniques or replace the child actors entirely with new ones.

Will The Mothership Ever Be Released Or Is It Doomed To Be Forgotten To Time?

Due to the fact that The Mothership didn’t finish post-production, it appears that the movie can’t be released at this point. It’s speculated that Netflix may have written off the film as a tax deduction, which could make the footage unavailable due to legal constraints, similar to Warner Bros.’ Batgirl. To release The Mothership, they would probably need to begin anew, reshooting the entire movie from the ground up. However, even then, sorting out the rights to the film would still be necessary, to avoid any tax and legal complications. A new cast and creative team might also be assembled to complete the film if it ever progresses again, but that seems doubtful.

Charmin hasn’t taken on any directing projects since the cancellation of “The Mothership,” which might have a negative impact on his directorial career. However, he has continued to excel in writing, collaborating on the 2024 film “Killer Heat” featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Meanwhile, Berry is back with Netflix, appearing in the action movie “The Union” alongside Mark Wahlberg. Unfortunately, for “The Mothership” to be revived, it would need significant financial support, which could be challenging due to the film’s turbulent past. Despite finishing principal photography, Berry’s “The Mothership” is a science fiction film that audiences may never get a chance to watch.

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2025-04-28 20:04