Midnight Rider, the new biopic of musician Greg Allman, has already been reeling from the tragic death of camera assistant Sarah Jones during location shooting in Georgia. Now, as the filmmakers figure out how to continue work, star William Hurt, who was playing Allman, has decided to leave the film.
The film is based on Allman’s biography and chronicles his career as a rock and blues singer-songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist and his founding of The Allman Brothers Band. Bottle Shock director Randall Miller has been attempting to relocate the shoot for the film to Los Angeles. But following the fatality when a train collided with film equipment on a bridge in February, he’s faced opposition from unions and actors to the idea. Jones’ death also spurred a series of tributes from other crews in both film and TV.
Hurt, who was among the cast on the bridge when the accident happened, was to have led a cast that also includes Bradley Whitford, Eliza Dushku, Joel David Moore and Charles S. Dutton. Despite a source telling Deadline that the filmmakers are now looking to recast several roles, the biopic’s future remains cloudy.