Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death has left the fate of a Showtime series in limbo, as network executives decide whether to pull the plug or recast the role.
The premium-cable outlet had ordered 10 episodes of “Happyish,” produced by and starring the 46-year-old Hoffman as a New York ad executive struggling to find meaning in his life. Hoffman and crew had shot a pilot before he died Sunday of an apparent heroin overdose.
Showtime didn’t rush into any decisions on Monday, and network execs declined to discuss the future of the series.
“Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of our generation’s finest and most brilliant actors. He was also a gifted comedic talent,” the network said in a statement Sunday. “It was a great privilege and pleasure to work with him, and we are all absolutely devastated by this sudden loss.”
An industry source told E! it would be difficult to picture Showtime going forward with another “Happyish” star, explaining that Hoffman “drives every scene of the pilot”: “If the show does move forward, the premiere would be delayed, as the pilot would need to be reshot,” the source said.
HBO faced a similar dilemma when James Gandolfini died suddenly of a heart attack last summer after having filmed a pilot for its miniseries “Criminal Justice.” HBO ended up recasting Robert De Niro in the role.
Hoffman’s death also raised questions about his work in the wildly popular “Hunger Games” franchise. The actor, as game master Plutarch Heavensbee, is set to be in the next two installments, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1” and “Part 2.” He was practically done with shooting “Part 1” and was within seven days of finishing his work for “Part 2,” a source said.