By AINSLEY THOMSON
The makers of Vincent Ward's new movie The River Queen were working last night to quash speculation that the film had been canned, insisting instead that it is merely delayed.
Silverscreen Films said production was postponed because of the ill health of lead actor Samantha Morton, who was hospitalised for five days with severe influenza and secondary bacterial complications. She has been told she will need two to four weeks to recover.
The company did not give a date for the resumption of filming, saying that depended on Morton's recovery.
One News said last night that the film had been canned.
But producer Don Reynolds told the Herald that was not correct.
"I don't know where they got that from. I spoke to them and said it definitely wasn't canned."
Mr Reynolds said the film crew had been given notice but they would be rehired when filming resumed.
The delay in the $13 million film was covered by insurance, he said.
The film has received taxpayer funding - said to be worth about $3 million - from the New Zealand Film Commission and the Film Production Fund.
Film fund chairman David Gascoigne said The River Queen had been postponed only, and the fund would work to get the movie started again.
The production was insured for illness and poor weather, he said, but "we don't want to make an insurance claim, we want a movie".
Since Morton became ill about three weeks ago, rumours have been rife that all was not well on the set of the movie, which is based on director Ward's story of a young woman caught between cultures in 19th century New Zealand.
Media interest in the movie was heightened when a group calling themselves the United Chiefs of Aotearoa posted a public notice in a local newspaper warning of a looming disaster.
The Dominion Post newspaper reported a source describing filming as miserable, and saying Morton had rarely turned up.
One News said crew had dubbed her the "drama queen", and she supposedly kept them waiting for hours.
Mr Reynolds said Morton was committed to the film.
He put any tension on the set down to the fact that Morton was a method actor, which some of the crew had not encountered before.
Mr Reynolds said there was no issue with funds. The investors, who include businessman Eric Watson, were supportive and wanted the film to be finished. He said the film's star, Kiefer Sutherland, left New Zealand last week to return to his television series 24, but had agreed to return to finish filming his scenes.
The River Queen still alive, say backers
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