Representatives for Jake Gyllenhaal have responded after French screenwriter Thomas Bidegain shared a series of surprising claims about the actor's behavior.
Gyllenhaal is currently preparing to appear in Prime Video's upcoming movie Road House - a 'reimagining' for the 1989 Patrick Swayze movie - but in 2021, he travelled to Iceland to meet with Bidegain for a different project.
Bidegain had co-written a script titled Suddenly, based on a book by the sailor Isabelle Autissier, and sent the script to Gyllenhaal with the hope he could star.
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In an interview with Technikart released this week, Bidegain recalled how Gyllenhaal accepted the offer, saying (translated): "One evening, I received a phone call from Jake.
"He finds the scenario wonderful, touching, and assures that he wants to be part of the adventure. I open the champagne, I'm in my manic phase."
The script for STUDIOCANAL was refined with Gyllenhaal in mind, but Bidegain reportedly found himself having to convince the actor to stay after he experienced scheduling conflicts.
Gyllenhaal ultimately agreed, but the screenwriter has alleged that he began to engage in some unusual behavior after he arrived in Iceland to film with co-star Vanessa Kirby.
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Afraid of Covid, Gyllenhaal allegedly decided to drive to the hotel in a car he demanded was 'neither red nor white', Bidegain claimed.
When filming began, the actor is accused of having 'lost his temper' over a timing problem, and seeming 'disappointed' in the landscape.
Valentine Monteil, who co-wrote the script, told Technikart: "Jake talks a lot about the TRUTH, insisting that his character be a former GI, used to survival… For example, for a scene on the boat, he sells us the idea that he slaps a fish."
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Further allegations about Gyllenhaal include the claim that he 'threatened to leave the film' after an argument, went swimming in the freezing Atlantic Ocean in his underwear, and insisted builders working for the film had to 'sleep in their cars' due to his fear of catching Covid.
Things are said to have finally come to a head when Gyllenhaal allegedly insisted he didn't 'want a set' for the film and demanded he see construction plans.
Just four days after it began, the actor allegedly threatened to leave the project, at which point Bidegain told him: “Go ahead!”
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It was decided that the Gyllenhaal's vision 'diverged too much' from the creators', so with the lead actor out of the picture, the film fell apart.
Kirby allegedly contacted Bidegain a few weeks later with an offer to buy the script, but producer Alain Attal declined the offer and decided to pursue with the film in French, starring French actors.
After Bidegain's claims came to light, UNILAD reached out to representatives for Gyllenhaal for comment.
A spokesperson from STUDIOCANAL responded: "Creative differences are very normal, if unfortunate, regularities in film development. In this case, there were concerns which simply could not be overcome despite great efforts on both sides.
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"We greatly value all our relationships at STUDIOCANAL and are happy that Thomas Bidegain was able to fulfill his vision on the French language version of SUDDENLY.
"We remain deeply committed to our working partnerships with both Thomas Bidegain and Jake Gyllenhaal, with whom we have always enjoyed a very strong creative relationship."
Bidegain did end up releasing a version of the film titled Soudain Seuls (Suddenly Alone), which arrived in theatres in December 2023.
Topics: US News, Celebrity, Film and TV
Emily Brown