Keke Palmer is adamant about finishing Being Mortal’s production – comedian Aziz Ansari’s besotted directorial debut and an adaptation of Atul Gawande’s book with the same name.
In April, the film’s production was canceled by Searchlight Pictures following a staff member filing a lawsuit against actor Bill Murray for alleged misconduct.
Although she didn’t particularly point out to her co-actor, Palmer said in an interview with Variety that she looked forward to Ansari being able to finish the “amazing film” sometime soon, which she believed would have to have a “major rewrite” considering the headlines regarding Murray.
“If somebody could figure it out, it would be Aziz,” Palmer stated at Los Angeles Academy Museum Gala on Saturday, revealing that she has no knowledge of the film’s completion.
“Obviously, we got cut short at a certain point, but I will say that I am pretty devastated. It’s an amazing film. If there is some way to be able to complete, salvage it, I would want to do it.”
Without citing the controversy, Palmer said Ansari “would probably have to do a major rewrite, but I know what we got was gold.”
A report of the incident surfaced after Puck published details earlier this month. Several sources stated that Murray kissed and straddled a younger female production staff on set.
Murray, who allegedly felt that the staff member had been eyeing him, also reportedly kissed the staff on her mouth, despite the COVID-19 protocol of wearing a mask.
The unidentified woman and another staff member who had seen the incident sued Murray, resulting in Searchlight’s decision to cancel production. But the reason behind the move wasn’t revealed to the cast and crew, according to the report.
Murray, who allegedly attributed the incident to a miscommunication, and the woman eventually settled the lawsuit – the former paying for damages to the latter “just north of $100,000.”
When asked for comment regarding the report, Murray, Ansari, and Searchlight’s reps did not respond.
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Murray and His Misconduct
Murray previously addressed the accusations in April; however, he did not break down any details of the legal complaint.
“I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn’t taken the way,” the actor said in an interview with CNBC. “The company, the movie studio, wanted to do the right thing, so they wanted to check it all out, investigate it, and so they stopped the production.”
He added, “But as of now, we’re talking, and we’re trying to make peace with each other.
“We’re both professionals. We like each other’s work, and if you can’t really get along and trust each other, there’s no point in going further working together or making a movie as well.”
It is not the only time that Murray has been caught up in these controversies. He has faced misconduct allegations on the set of Quick Change – a 1990 comedy also starring Geena Davis – and Saturday Night Live.
Davis said Murray shouted at her privately and before the cast and crew on the movie’s set and gave her a massage using a massage device without her consent during her audition for the movie.
Meanwhile, Seth Green claimed that Murray pushed him into a trashcan behind the stage on SNL when he was only 9 years old.
Click here to watch Palmer’s interview from the Academy Museum Gala.
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Photo: J-14
