During the break, the director asked veteran producer Mary Parent to help get the project on track. In January, Tom Hardy was forced to drop out of Warner Bros.’ Suicide Squad to accommodate the protracted shoot. Still, Inarritu acknowledges that problems had become so evident that a planned two-week hiatus in December was extended into a six-week break, prompting issues with actor schedules. Inarritu remembers venting frustration over a wasted morning but says Skotchdopole was not barred from the set but rather redeployed to a trailer to wind down the production in Canada. Crewmembers recall a seemingly deal-breaking clash between Inarritu and Skotchdopole in April after they took a helicopter ride to a forest location that turned out to have the wrong light.
We have no money or time in the schedule,'” says one. “You’ve got to let the director know: ‘We can’t do that.
While some insiders say Inarritu is needlessly difficult, their harshest criticism is aimed at Skotchdopole, who is blamed for planning poorly and failing to communicate problems to Inarritu, who would then take out his frustrations on the crew. Inarritu: "We Are Made to Communicate and Express - That's What Film Is About" “There were problems, but none of them made me ashamed.” But the Oscar-winning Mexican auteur says he wants to set the record straight about what widely is rumored to be a troubled production. Seated in production offices in Santa Monica, Inarritu says he normally would not give an interview with his film still months from its Dec. 20th Century Fox will distribute.Ĭrewmembers often complain on difficult shoots, but on some films the noise reaches an unusual pitch. Brett Ratner‘s RatPac is contributing about a quarter of Revenant‘s original budget and is sharing some overages Empyre, a fund based in Abu Dhabi and Brazil, and Chinese company Alpha Pictures also have small pieces. And the movie’s great.” New Regency - extended financially between Revenant and the costly upcoming Assassin’s Creed - backed the past two best picture Oscar winners, 12 Years a Slave and Birdman. “We had weather challenges,” admits Brad Weston, president and CEO of backer New Regency. While the plan was to film DiCaprio’s trek entirely in Canada, the weather did not cooperate, so the filmmakers now are headed to a location at the tip of Argentina in quest of snow. Inarritu, 51, made the unusual choice to shoot the film in sequence, using only natural light. Inspired by real events, Revenant follows DiCaprio’s character through deep snow and ordeals including battles with Native Americans and a near-fatal mauling by a bear. 'The Revenant' to Get HDR Dolby Vision Release They say the behind-the-scenes drama led Inarritu to bar producer Jim Skotchdopole, who worked with him on Birdman, from the set. Crewmembers say they have seen huge turnover, including many who were fired and others who quit. But cameras still will be rolling into August as the budget has climbed well past $95 million, with insiders predicting it will reach or exceed $135 million. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as early 19th century explorer Hugh Glass, Revenant went into production in September and was supposed to wrap in March. Some also say that making the film has been by far the worst experience of their careers - “a living hell,” as one bluntly puts it. Inarritu‘s The Revenantsay the director’s follow-up to Birdman could turn out to be epic and Oscar-worthy. Veteran crewmembers who have toiled on director Alejandro G.
To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. A version of this story first appeared in the July 31 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.