Picture: Netflix
The Mothership, Netflix’s big sci-fi thriller starring Halle Berry, was originally set to release on the streamer at one point in 2022 and later pushed to 2023. A new report from The InSneider states that the movie has been dropped altogether and won’t be released at the streamer despite having finished its first round of filming. Here’s what we knew about the project and what’s been said about the removal of it from Netflix’s slate.
Netflix’s The Mothership will be written by Matthew Charman, who was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay for Bridge of Spies starring Tom Hanks. The Mothership would’ve also served as Charman’s directorial debut. Charman also went on to produce Treason for Netflix, starring Charlie Cox.
The project was first unveiled back in February 2021. Among the producers will be Halle Berry herself, Danny Stillman, Fred Berger, and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones for Automatik.
Pictured: Matthew Charman
Here’s what else we know so far about Netflix’s The Mothership:
What is the plot of Netflix’s The Mothership?
Nearly nothing is known about the story except its official synopsis provided by Deadline.
Here is the logline for The Mothership:
“The sci-fi adventure follows Sara Morse (Berry) one year since her husband mysteriously vanished from their rural farm. When she discovers a strange, extraterrestrial object underneath their home, Sara and her kids embark on a race to find their husband, father, and most importantly – the truth.”
Who is cast in The Mothership?
Picture: Getty Images
Netflix’s The Mothership will be led by Oscar winner Halle Berry who is known for her performances in many projects, including X-Men, James Bond, Monster’s Ball, John Wick, and more. Berry will be playing the role of Sara Morse.
Later rounding out the cast for The Mothership includes:
- Omari Hardwick (Army of the Dead, Power)
- John Ortiz (Silver Linings Playbook, Messiah)
- Molly Parker (House of Cards, Lost in Space)
- Thomas Philip O’Neill as Ivan
- Marilyn Busch as Holly
- Tyler Gevas as Stuart
- Quinn McPherson as Chloe Morse
- Rocco Navarro as Navy Seal
Pictured: Omari Hardwick, John Ortiz, and Molly Parker
What’s the production status of The Mothership?
Netflix’s The Mothership entered production in June 2021 (reportedly June 14th) and wrapped in mid-August of the same year. Production took place in Boston, Massachusetts, US, according to issue 1238 of Production Weekly.
Local reporting also suggests that some of the filming also took place in Norwood, Massachusetts.
All post-production work on the project looks to have been finished by late 2021, according to individuals attached to the project on LinkedIn.
South Street, between Pleasant Street and Lincoln Avenue, in #PlainvilleMA is periodically being shut down to vehicle and pedestrian traffic today to allow filming at and around Don’s Diner, reportedly for a Netflix film called “The Mothership.” https://t.co/YhEknisz1I pic.twitter.com/FhJn9BBCcR
— The Sun Chronicle (@TheSunChronicle) July 19, 2021
We got a brief look at The Mothership in Netflix’s 2022 Movie Preview (you can find it in the video embedded below between 2:10 and 2:14).
John Ortiz in The Mothership – Picture: Netflix
Halle Berry in The Mothership – Picture: Netflix
When will The Mothership be released on Netflix?
The movie was initially part of the 2022 lineup Netflix movie lineup, as confirmed in their video preview for the year and official Netflix preview docs for the year. In August 2022, we confirmed alongside nine other movies that the movie had instead been pushed into 2023.
In January 2023, Netflix unveiled its preliminary 2023 movie slate, but The Mothership was notably absent.
The closest we’ve come to a window was back in June 2023 when Essence interviewed Omari Hardwick with the article stating that the movie is still scheduled to hit “Later this year [2023]”.
A report in January 2024 from Jeff Sneider with his outlet, The Insneider, states that the project has been canned altogether. According to Sneider, the movie needed significant reshoots that ultimately would’ve proved too costly and resource-intensive to justify. A Netflix source told the outlet that Berry would still star int he upcoming movie, The Union.