Director Peter Greenaway and Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman began production on a new drama in late 2023 in Lucca, Tuscany, with both principals in their 80s. The film, originally titled Lucca Mortis and now called Tower Stories, was conceived as an exploration of mortality and assisted dying, following a New York writer returning to Italy to contemplate his life and search for his roots.
Production faced immediate challenges when initial crew and equipment arrived without the lead actors, resulting in weeks of inactivity before everyone was sent home. Financing issues plagued the project from the start. When filming finally commenced in early 2024 with a reported €15 million budget, the local Lucca community embraced the production, with residents participating and the historic city center serving as a filming location across 25 different sites.
As production progressed, mounting delays consumed substantial portions of the budget. The production company Facing East, in partnership with Swiss financiers Jumpy Cow Pictures, oversaw the project with support from Italian and Dutch tax incentives. After principal photography wrapped, Greenaway and his Dutch creative partner Saskia Boddeke began post-production work, delivering a first draft assembly in late 2024 that reportedly received positive reception.
Tensions escalated when producers created their own version of the film without Greenaway’s involvement, citing budget overruns as justification, despite the director’s contract reportedly granting him final cut authority. Two different incomplete cuts now exist, with disputes over creative control and film rights leaving the project in limbo. Meanwhile, local Lucca officials have expressed frustration over the absence of communication regarding the completed production, noting their municipality invested significant time and resources in facilitating the shoot, only to see the finished film disappear from public view more than two years after filming concluded.
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