‘Is death necessary?’: why Peter Greenaway’s assisted dying drama is stuck in post-production hell
Peter Greenaway's film Lucca Mortis, starring Dustin Hoffman, has become entangled in post-production disputes three years after shooting began in late 2023. The British director and the film's producers are locked in disagreement over which version should be released, with additional complications from ongoing rights battles. Both Greenaway and the 80-year-old Hoffman had hoped the film would serve as a fitting conclusion to their careers.
The €15 million drama was shot across 25 locations in Lucca, Tuscany, and explores mortality through the story of Jacob Zucchine, a New York writer contemplating whether death is necessary. Production was beset by problems from the outset: crew and equipment arrived months before the lead actors, leading to costly delays that consumed large portions of the budget. Financed primarily by Swiss-based Jumpy Cow Pictures and supplemented by Italian and Dutch tax rebates, the project was produced by Facing East.
- Film remains stuck in post-production disputes three years after Tuscany shoot began.
- Director Greenaway and producers can't agree which version to release.
- Stars 80-year-old Dustin Hoffman in drama exploring mortality and death.
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Peter Greenaway's film Lucca Mortis is a €15 million drama exploring philosophical questions about mortality through the story of a New York writer. The film was shot across 25 locations in Tuscany over several months in 2023 and 2024, financed primarily by Swiss company Jumpy Cow Pictures and supported by Italian and Dutch tax incentives.
The project brought together the acclaimed British director with American actor Dustin Hoffman, then approaching his eighties, in a film both hoped would represent a fitting closing chapter to their long careers. Production faced challenges from the outset, as crew and equipment arrived at the Tuscan locations months before the lead actors, resulting in delays that consumed substantial portions of the budget.