Priyanka Chopra’s upcoming survival thriller Reset has run into trouble even before cameras could roll. Orlando Bloom, who was set to headline the film alongside Chopra and was also attached as an executive producer, has reportedly exited the project at the eleventh hour.
Bloom’s departure comes just days before the scheduled start of filming, leaving the independent production looking for a new actor to step into his role. According to reports, three names are currently being considered, with Chopra, who is also producing the film, expected to have a say in the casting.
The sudden change has reportedly caused considerable frustration within the team. Bloom’s involvement was said to have been an important factor in getting the film financed and positioning it for international distribution. The reason behind his exit, however, has not been made public.
There could also be more to the production shake-up. A Page Six report claims the project’s original director Matt Smukler was replaced close to the proposed start date, with filmmaker James Madigan now attached. Sources cited by the publication suggested that ongoing script changes and the late directorial switch had left the team without enough preparation time, raising the possibility that production could be pushed to next year.
Reset, written by Jordan Rawlins, follows a woman who wakes up alone in the wilderness with no memory of how she arrived there. With civilisation far away, she has little choice but to depend on a mysterious stranger for survival. The catch? She cannot be sure whether he is actually there to help her or has motives of his own.
The film was announced in May with an August production schedule. Chopra is producing through Purple Pebble Pictures, while Bloom was attached through his banner Amazing Owl, alongside producers from Fratricidal Films, Chemically Altered and Rhodes Entertainment. Fortitude International is financing the project and handling international sales.
Meanwhile, Chopra has a busy slate ahead. She will next be seen in SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, alongside Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran. She also has Nicholas Stoller’s Judgment Day and Mira Nair’s Amri in the pipeline. Bloom, meanwhile, was last seen in The Cut and has Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard among his upcoming projects.
