20th Century Fox has postponed production on The Deep Blue Good-by due to an injury suffered by star Christian Bale, says The Hollywood Reporter. The actor reportedly tore his ACL just before his shoot for Paramount’s The Big Short. While he’ll be able to make that film, because it’s not a very physically-intensive shoot, the same can’t be said for Good-by. Bale was to have played a salvage hunter in the movie.
James Mangold was set to direct the thriller, which had Peter Dinklage and Nicola Peltz on board, in May in Florida and Puerto Rico. This means that Mangold could be starting earlier on Wolverine 3 instead. That sequel just signed a new screenwriter.
The Deep Blue Good-by is based on the first book in John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee mystery series. Published in 1964, it is officially described as follows:
Travis McGee is a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. He’s also a knight-errant who’s wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. McGee isn’t particularly strapped for cash, but how can anyone say no to Cathy, a sweet backwoods girl who’s been tortured repeatedly by her manipulative ex-boyfriend Junior Allen? What Travis isn’t anticipating is just how many women Junior has torn apart and left in his wake. Enter Junior’s latest victim, Lois Atkinson. Frail and broken, Lois can barely get out of bed when Travis finds her, let alone keep herself alive. But Travis turns into Mother McGee, giving Lois new life as he looks for the ruthless man who steals women’s spirits and livelihoods. But he can’t guess how violent his quest is soon to become. He’ll learn the hard way that there must be casualties in this game of cat and mouse.
Will they be able to wait for Bale, who has a busy schedule the next few years? We’ll have to wait and see.
