JANE GOT A GUN, but Jane don't got a director

Things aren’t looking good for this upcoming Natalie Portman western film. Jane got a gun is a film that has been riddled with problems from day one, made all the worse by the fact that the departure of Michael Fassbender from the set meant that some last minute shuffling was needed with the various thespians attached to the film.

But now, they’ve got the crew, they’ve got the cash, they’ve got a few actors left and they’ve got a director ready to start shooting. Oh wait, it looks like director Lynne Ramsay didn’t even show up for the film.

Jane Got a Gun was meant to start shooting yesterday, but it looks like Ramsay has dropped out of shooting entirely, according to Deadline. Thanks to on-set conflicts between Ramsay and her filmmaking peers. “I have millions of dollars invested, we’re ready to shoot, we have a great script, crew and cast,” Producer Scott Steindorff told Deadline.

I’m shocked and so disappointed someone would do this to 150 crew members who devoted so much time, energy, commitment and loyalty to a project, and then have the director not show up. It is insane somebody would do this to other people. I feel more for the crew and their families, but we are keeping the show going on, directors are flying in, and a replacement is imminent.

I hope so, for the sake of that film. The western has an interesting premise, in that it finds Portman hiring her former love to help protect her husband from a posse of outlaws who are gunning for them. The real tragedy of the story here though, is that Ramsay has a pay-or-play contract, which means that she’ll bank a pay cheque from this film even if she has nothing else to do with it at the end of the day. Steindorff is understandably pissed off though, and is looking at legal options to prevent that from happening.

Last Updated: March 20, 2013