The Brian Epstein Biopic Midas Man Has Hit A Serious Snag

There's a movie in the works called "Midas Man." It's a biopic about Beatles manager Brian Epstein, who guided the lads from Liverpool from obscurity to international superstardom from 1962 until his untimely death at age 32 in 1967. Of all the people who have been called the "Fifth Beatle" — and there are at least five, according to DW – Epstein is one of the most credible. There's even a graphic novel about him called "The Fifth Beatle."

Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, best known for his role as the handsome chess player and journalist D.L. Townes in "The Queen's Gambit," is starring as Epstein. The cast also includes Academy Award nominee Emily Watson, "Ray Donovan" star Eddie Marsan, "Euphoria" actor Lukas Gage, "Outlander" actress Rosie Day, and "Son of Rambow" star Bill Milner.

"Midas Man" began filming in the United Kingdom last month, but the production has hit a serious snag. According to Deadline, filming has been halted while producers search for a new director.

The film was slated to be directed by Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund, who's best known for directing famous and award-winning music videos for Madonna, The Prodigy, Paul McCartney, and many other music superstars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé. He's also directed the films "Spun," "Lords of Chaos," and "Polar."

But Deadline reports that production has shut down, and Åkerlund is unlikely to return.

"The director of 'Midas Man' Jonas Åkerlund is taking a break from the film," producers said in a statement to the trade. "Until some matters become clearer we are not able to add any further comment to this statement. In the meantime we can confirm that filming of 'Midas Man' will continue in London in November before breaking for Christmas. Filming will restart in early January in Los Angeles."

Deadline reports that Åkerlund's exit is related to work commitments on other projects, and conversations are underway with a replacement director. The crew has reportedly been let go, and told that the intention is to restart production in the next few months. It remains to be seen if "Midas Man" regroups from this setback, but hopefully it does. Brian Epstein's story is an interesting one that deserves to be told. He doesn't always get enough credit for the cultural and musical changes he helped push forward.