A complaint about “inappropriate behavior” by actor Bill Murray has prompted Searchlight Pictures to halt production of “Being Mortal,” a film written and directed by Aziz Ansari, according to a person who worked on the production.
Searchlight sent a letter to the cast and crew on Wednesday that said the suspension was due to a complaint, but gave few other details.
“Late last week, a complaint was brought to our attention and we acted on it immediately,” the letter said, a copy of which was made available to the New York Times. “After reviewing the circumstances, it has been decided that production cannot proceed at this time.”
The letter did not provide any information about the nature of the complaint or the people involved, but the person who worked on the production, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the details of the matter are kept confidential, said the film was shut down due to what Murray only described as “inappropriate behavior.”
The episode that led to the complaint happened on Friday and resulted in a shutdown that day, the person said. The production spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday conducting an investigation, which led to the finding that work on the film could not be resumed for the time being.
The suspension was reported by Deadline on Thursday. Disney, the company that owns Searchlight, and an attorney who represented Murray did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.
Known for an understated, almost dead style, Murray joined Saturday Night Live in 1977 and went on to star in comedies like Caddyshack and Ghostbusters. He has become a staple in indie film, appearing in several Wes Anderson films and in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation.
Along the way, he became something of a crumpled cultural touchstone, with his face on art prints, T-shirts and prayer candles, and as tattoos on fans’ arms and legs. He also showed up in unexpected real-life moments: reading poetry to construction workers, attending a kickball game on Roosevelt Island, and even doing a photobomb photoshoot for an engagement photoshoot in South Carolina.
It was widely reported that Murray clashed with actress Lucy Liu during the filming of the 2000 film Charlie’s Angels, and the language was inexcusable and unacceptable.”
Murray stars in the Searchlight production, which also stars Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer. It is based on Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, a non-fiction book by Atul Gawande that provides accounts of his experiences as a doctor and examines how doctors and patients deal with terminal illnesses.
Ansari stars in the film and directs it. He is also co-producing it with Youree Henley.
Production on the film began in Los Angeles in late March and was expected to span a 30-day shoot. Whether Murray will remain in the film or be replaced is unclear, said the person familiar with the production.
“We are truly grateful to you all for all you have put into this project,” the letter, sent by Searchlight, reads. “Please note that we are working with Aziz and Youree in the coming days to see if we can proceed at the right time.”