Netflix Just Axed a Halle Berry Sci-Fi Film Before It Was Finished

Oscar winner Halle Berry may have at one time played Catwoman, but this week she got Batgirl’d. In a move reminiscent of what Warner Bros. did to the DC film a few years back, Netflix has decided to pull the plug on Berry’s upcoming sci-fi film The Mothership before the film was finished.

The Mothership was about a mother and a ship. Really. Berry played a mother whose husband vanishes mysteriously. Then, one day, she and her children discover a spaceship on their land which begins to explain the mystery. Filming began in the summer of 2021 and since then, there have been numerous delays in post-production. Reshoots were planned but deemed expensive and complicated, due in some part to the film’s children having aged significantly in the intervening years. And while Netflix was, reportedly, not as worried about the money, all the delays and issues seem to have snowballed and a decision was made to pull the plug.

Reporter Jeff Sneider first broke the news of the cancelation, which was later confirmed by Variety. That original story stresses that Netflix didn’t come to the decision lightly and the streamer is thankful to everyone who worked on the movie. However, there’s no word how any of those people, such as Berry or writer-director Matt Chartman (Bridge of Spies) have reacted to the news. As for the actress though, she’s got a nice little situation set up at the streamer. It began with the release of her directorial debut Bruised and has since blossomed into a multi-picture deal. The latest result of that is a spy thriller co-starring Berry and Mark Wahlberg called The Union, which is currently in the works.

And yet, while everyone surely got paid to work on this film, it’s got to be soul-crushing to work so hard on something for it to just never see the light of day, let alone be finished. That’s what happens though when movies are treated as content instead of art.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Oscar winner Halle Berry may have at one time played Catwoman, but this week she got Batgirl’d. In a move reminiscent of what Warner Bros. did to the DC film a few years back, Netflix has decided to pull the plug on Berry’s upcoming sci-fi film The Mothership before the film was finished.

The Mothership was about a mother and a ship. Really. Berry played a mother whose husband vanishes mysteriously. Then, one day, she and her children discover a spaceship on their land which begins to explain the mystery. Filming began in the summer of 2021 and since then, there have been numerous delays in post-production. Reshoots were planned but deemed expensive and complicated, due in some part to the film’s children having aged significantly in the intervening years. And while Netflix was, reportedly, not as worried about the money, all the delays and issues seem to have snowballed and a decision was made to pull the plug.

Reporter Jeff Sneider first broke the news of the cancelation, which was later confirmed by Variety. That original story stresses that Netflix didn’t come to the decision lightly and the streamer is thankful to everyone who worked on the movie. However, there’s no word how any of those people, such as Berry or writer-director Matt Chartman (Bridge of Spies) have reacted to the news. As for the actress though, she’s got a nice little situation set up at the streamer. It began with the release of her directorial debut Bruised and has since blossomed into a multi-picture deal. The latest result of that is a spy thriller co-starring Berry and Mark Wahlberg called The Union, which is currently in the works.

And yet, while everyone surely got paid to work on this film, it’s got to be soul-crushing to work so hard on something for it to just never see the light of day, let alone be finished. That’s what happens though when movies are treated as content instead of art.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.