The high-concept indie film “Sweet Baby Jesus” — “a comedy about a pregnant teenage mom whose arrival in Bethlehem, Maryland is mistaken for the Second Coming” — could sure use some help from above. Deadline reports the gestating film reported earlier this year to star Bette Midler, Pixie Lott, Adrien Brody and Sharon Stone has hit the skids, forcing director Peter Hewitt and more importantly, U.K.-based financier and producers Studio Eight, to leave the production.
Deadline reports that Hewitt became frustrated when promises for payment were never fulfilled, leaving the director and other technical crew holding the bag for a number of pre-production costs. “It’s been a catalogue of delays and trouble right from when I signed on in February,” he told Deadline. “I kept giving [producer Philippe] Rebboah the benefit of the doubt but he never paid me.”
Things came to a head when Hewitt and line producer line producer B.J. Rack headed to Detroit last month to begin location scouting for what they believed was an imminent shoot, but Rebboah surprised them by announcing he that was leaving for Europe on August 22nd. Perhaps it was for the best, as Hewitt recalls, “We never did any pre-production, it was a total joke.”
As always there is another side to the story and Rebboah claims that one of the financiers bailed on the production forcing him to go overseas to try and scrounge up cash. He adds that the Detroit work in August was merely “recce” for a shoot in Italy in November and that it was “derailed by personality clashes and his unhappiness about the location.” As for Studio Eight, they just want their money back, with managing director Jamie Brown saying that some of the money is unaccounted for.
“Pete Hewitt is so upset and cross about it,” Brown told Deadline. “What I don’t understand is that the money was all in place and we were all set to go.”
At this point, we would be surprised if the project happens at all. Adrien Brody and Sharon Stone, while linked to the film, were never officially attached and we would be surprised if they bothered sticking around given the financial instability of the project. If there’s one thing agents don’t like, it’s having doubts that the checks they’re being given will clear. We’ll keep on eye on this one, but don’t be surprised if it quietly goes away.
