EXCLUSIVE: Angels in the Asylum, the British indie film starring Simon Pegg and Katherine Waterston, has left creditors out of pocket to the tune of £3.7M ($5M) after halting filming six months ago, according to a financial filing.
As revealed by Deadline earlier this year, Angels in the Asylum was mounted without its financing fully in place and had to shut down in February, 15 days into a month-long shoot. The picture is housed at special purpose vehicle AITA Films Limited, with first-time feature director Rob Sorrenti serving as producer alongside Heather Greenwood, who co-produced Gavin & Stacey: The Finale.
AITA Films Limited filed for administration in April, a process equivalent to Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Kallis Insolvency Practitioners, AITA Films’ administrator, has now produced a report outlining the company’s affairs and the amount owed to financiers, cast, crew, and suppliers.
Sorrenti and Greenwood have been approached for comment. They have previously apologized to angry crew, adding: “It was never what we could possibly have imagined when we started this journey.” Pegg is an executive producer on Angels in the Asylum, though he has not invested in the film and has not been paid for his work to date. The Crown director Steven Daldry is also an executive producer.
Among the major creditors are Brandhouse Global Limited, which provided £486,966 in interim financing after “anticipated funding from Parkland Pictures did not materialise,” per the financial filing. Parkland CEO John Cairns has previously told Deadline that his company had no agreement to finance Angels in the Asylum beyond its work as a sales agent.
Cast members are owed at least £374,649, while “trade and expense” creditors are out of pocket by £1.39M, which likely includes studio spaces, including Versa and Twickenham Film Studios. Deadline has previously reported that crew members are owed at least £600,000 in wages.
The administrator’s report provided an upbeat update on the film securing financing to pay creditors and resume production. “Discussions with proposed funders is progressing well and an in-depth due diligence process is currently being undertaken by the funders and their lawyers,” the report said. The film’s set is in storage until September while the conversations continue.
Should financing be secured, “all creditors will be paid in full,” the report added. Should the funding discussions break down, only “preferential” creditors will receive what they are owed. These preferential creditors include £41,242 in employee arrears and holiday, as well as HM Revenue & Customs.
Inspired by true events, Angels in the Asylum co-stars Minnie Driver, Lesley Nicol, Rose Williams, Aurora Perrineau, and Alex Jennings. It centers on women who were forcibly confined in isolation at Surrey’s Long Grove Asylum in the 1930s after being deemed to be typhoid carriers.
Bectu and Equity have supported members impacted by the hiatus. In a statement to Deadline, Bectu boss Philippa Childs said: “Film and TV workers have already faced an incredibly challenging few years and to be out of pocket will make things even difficult financially for lots of our members who’ve lent their talents and expertise to this film. While this situation is unfortunately symptomatic of a very unstable industry, it is the crew who are too often the first to suffer and the hardest hit when production is impacted.”
The post Simon Pegg Film ‘Angels In The Asylum’ Owes Cast, Crew & Suppliers $5M After Halting Filming appeared first on Deadline.
