Disney Suspends Filming on Aziz Ansari's Being Mortal Film With Bill Murray After Investigating Complaint

By Spencer Perry

In a surprising but vague announcement, The Walt Disney Company's Searchlight Pictures has suspended production on the upcoming movie Being Mortal, which has comedian Aziz Ansari behind the camera in his directorial debut. Ansari was previously confirmed to star in the film as well, appearing alongside both Bill Murray, Seth Rogen, and Keke Palmer. According to Deadline, filming on the project was about halfway done before an abrupt halt in shooting started this week which is not COVID-19 related. Though it's unclear what occurred, a letter from the studio to the crew confirmed that they're stopping production after a complaint was filed and investigated with an eye toward resuming production at a later date still in the cards.

The exact nature of the complaint that was filed and has forced production to stop remains unclear but the trade reports that it is not one against Ansari, who was previously the subject of controversial allegations that he later addressed in a Netflix special. Ansari and his producing partner Youree Henley remain in negotiations with the studio about getting the project up and going again. 

In the letter to cast and crew, Searchlight wrote: "Late last week, we were made aware of a complaint, and we immediately looked into it. After reviewing the circumstances, it has been decided that production cannot continue at this time. We are truly grateful to all of you for everything you've put into this project. Our hope is to resume production and are working with Aziz and Youree to figure out that timing. Production will be in touch with you to share details on the wrap, and we will let you know as soon as we have more information to share."

Based on the book by Atul Gawande, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End is a non-fiction title that explores end-of-life and hospice care. It's unclear how the book has been adapted into a feature film but the movie was previously scheduled to be released in 2023. The sudden halt in shooting makes its release plans uncertain as well. The book was previously adapted into an episode of PBS Frontline where it was nominated for an Emmy award.

The official description release for the book, first published in 2014, reads in part: "In his bestselling books, Atul Gawande, a practicing surgeon, has fearlessly revealed the struggles of his profession. Here he examines its ultimate limitations and failures―in his own practices as well as others'―as life draws to a close. Riveting, honest, and humane, Being Mortal shows how the ultimate goal is not a good death but a good life―all the way to the very end."

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