The film was slated to be directed by Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund, who's best known for directing famous and award-winning music videos for Madonna, The Prodigy, Paul McCartney, and many other music superstars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé. He's also directed the films "Spun," "Lords of Chaos," and "Polar."
But Deadline reports that production has shut down, and Åkerlund is unlikely to return.
"The director of 'Midas Man' Jonas Åkerlund is taking a break from the film," producers said in a statement to the trade. "Until some matters become clearer we are not able to add any further comment to this statement. In the meantime we can confirm that filming of 'Midas Man' will continue in London in November before breaking for Christmas. Filming will restart in early January in Los Angeles."
Deadline reports that Åkerlund's exit is related to work commitments on other projects, and conversations are underway with a replacement director. The crew has reportedly been let go, and told that the intention is to restart production in the next few months. It remains to be seen if "Midas Man" regroups from this setback, but hopefully it does. Brian Epstein's story is an interesting one that deserves to be told. He doesn't always get enough credit for the cultural and musical changes he helped push forward.
