HBO’s been working really hard to add some more high profile projects to its schedule, but a few of them have not been turning out too well. Recently, we learned David Fincher’s HBO comedy shut down production, and today we've discovered the same thing has happened to the subscription cable channel’s upcoming miniseries Lewis and Clark.
This morning, news indicates that HBO has stopped production on its latest high-profile miniseries. The network is stating that there are multiple reasons the show has shut down production, although none of them sound particularly good. Hilariously, one of the big problems related to the Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks-produced production were weather-related. Weather might seem to be a weird reason for shutting down production, but a couple of years ago, other outdoor series Hell on Wheels had to briefly shut down due to Calgary floods, so it does happen. Weather is always going to be a factor, but that’s not the only reason Lewis and Clark is going through a total overhaul.
Deadline notes that there is also plenty of behind-the-scenes drama related to the production halt. Effective immediately, director John Curran and director of photography Rob Hardy will be leaving the miniseries. In a statement, HBO says that Lewis and Clark isn’t totally dead in the water. The word “temporarily” is thrown around, although we don’t know when Lewis and Clark will eventually move forward.
We are temporarily pausing production on the HBO miniseries Lewis And Clark. For creative reasons, director John Curran and director of photography Rob Hardy will be leaving the production. We will be bringing on a new director, and we plan to resume filming as soon as possible.
The HBO miniseries has been in the works for quite some time. Nearly half a year ago, Casey Affleck signed on to play historical figure Captain Meriweather Lewis in his first-ever leading TV gig, while actor Matthias Schoenaerts was added to play Second Lieutenant William Clark. The miniseries was set to follow the events outlined in historian Stephen Ambrose’s famed book Undaunted Courage. A slew of big names were also engaged with the miniseries on the producing end, including Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, and Edward Norton, Gary Goetszman, Dede Gardner, Tim Kelly and Adam Leipzig. Norton also co-wrote the script along with the aforementioned John Curran and Michelle Ashford. The whole project is pretty stacked.
Internal or external problems can occasionally plague productions, but with a new director and director of photography to search for, the Lewis and Clark drama seems to be a bit messier. We’ll let you know if and when it gets back on track.
