With production halted, and director John Curran ("The Painted Veil," "Stone," "Tracks") and DP Rob Hardy ("Ex Machina," "Tracks," "Testament Of Youth") booted for "creative reasons," HBO probably had every reasonable right to look at "Lewis And Clark" and determine that maybe it’s best just to shutter the whole thing. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve halted a show midstream (please see David Fincher‘s "Videosyncrazy") but it seems they’ve got faith the ship can be turned around.
Deadline reports that production will resume on the show next spring in Calgary, when weather will be more hospitable to the show which had been going through a "rough shoot" this summer. Produced by Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks, the six-hour miniseries starring Casey Affleck and Matthias Schoenaerts is adapted from the book "Undaunted Courage" by Stephen E. Ambrose, and follows the explorers Lewis and Clark on their journey down the Missouri River. Whatever was going wrong previously, it seems HBO believes that the foundation is strong enough to revive things next year.
All that said, no director has been named just yet, and it’s not clear how much, if any, of whatever Curran shot will be kept. I wouldn’t be surprised if they just ate the costs and started over, and it will certainly be more enticing to land a director of note if they are able to put their own stamp on the story rather than just pick up where someone else left off.
