As Suddenly Alone, the gripping tale of a stranded couple in the Antarctic, makes its theatrical debut early in December, writer-director Thomas Bidegain reflects on the tumultuous journey of his film’s production, including the ill-fated first version featuring Jake Gyllenhaal.
Upon receiving a call from Gyllenhaal, Bidegain took the initiative to share his script with him. “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,” Bidegain tells Technikart.
Over the course of more than a year, the script underwent numerous revisions tailored to the actor’s preferences, with Gyllenhaal showingexceptional involvement in the project. However, as filming plans were set to commence in the fall of 2021, Bidegain received disheartening news that Prisoners actor was no longer available due to his commitment to starring in the series The Offer.
“I call him, I complain, I tell him that he can’t abandon the film. It works and he says to me, ‘OK, I’m back.’”
During the production process, Jake Gyllenhaal exhibited unpredictable behavior that raised eyebrows among the film crew. This included unconventional actions such as spontaneously stripping down to his underwear and plunging into the freezing ocean, insisting, “When I see the sea, I swim in the sea.”
Gyllenhaal also proved to be a demanding collaborator, consistently requesting script rewrites and, in a peculiar turn, conducting rehearsals with a Pepe Le Pew-like accent. Additionally, he voiced unusual concerns about COVID prevention, suggesting that set builders should sleep in their cars to minimize the risk of virus transmission. He screams, insists that he doesn’t want a set, demands to see the building plans, calls everyone incompetent and finally declares that if it’s like that, he’d leave the project.
Bidegain says that, “With him, maybe I wasn’t firm enough, I think he wanted a stronger confrontation, but I don’t work like that… Anyway, it’s all over.”
