Three years after principal photography concluded on Lucca Mortis, British filmmaker Peter Greenaway remains embroiled in a contentious standoff with producers regarding the final cut of the film. The project, which was intended to serve as a high-profile swan song for both Greenaway and his lead actor Dustin Hoffman, has become arguably the most turbulent undertaking of the director’s long career.
Hoffman, the Academy Award-winning star known for The Graduate and Tootsie, and Greenaway were both in their 80s when production commenced in Lucca, Tuscany, in late 2023. Neither anticipated the significant obstacles that would arise during the subsequent post-production phase, nor did they foresee the ongoing legal battles concerning distribution rights.
The film, which addresses the sensitive topic of assisted dying, was met with considerable optimism at the time of its announcement. During a question-and-answer session at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in November 2023, Greenaway expressed palpable enthusiasm upon receiving a lifetime achievement award from the festival. Speaking from the historic Tuschinski theatre in Amsterdam, where the director has resided for the past two decades, he revealed plans to travel to Italy the following morning to begin serious shooting operations.
Despite those early assurances, the film has since faced prolonged delays. The current impasse centers on disagreements between Greenaway and the production team over which iteration of the movie should be released to audiences, while separate disputes over intellectual property rights continue to rumble. As a result, the much-anticipated release remains in limbo, leaving the collaborative effort frozen in what insiders describe as post-production hell.
Assisted dying is such a heavy topic for Hollywood. I hope they resolve this so we get an honest look at it.
Does anyone know which cut is closer to completion? The director’s or the producers’? I’m dying to see Hoffman in a drama.
This isn’t surprising for Greenaway. His films often face production hell, but locking up a Hoffman duet for years is brutal.
Three years? With Hoffman and Greenaway both in their 80s, this delay is heartbreaking. I just want to see it.