'The Golden Door': Lauren Sanchez’s debut movie in chaos after directors quit and crew bailed
TOPANGA, CALIFORNIA: Lauren Sanchez’s first scripted film is reportedly in disarray as she’s been hit by claims of overseeing a chaotic shoot that led to the directors being fired. The 53-year-old media personality, who shares a romantic relationship with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, self-financed 'The Golden Door,' a psychological thriller that has been dubbed "quite the trial by fire."
Produced by Sanchez’s company, Adventure & Fellowship, the $2 million project stars Daniella Kertesz and Chris Rock’s ex-lover Megalyn Echikunwoke, according to Page Six. The movie was kept under wraps and was filmed in Topanga last summer over a 20-day shoot. Sanchez funded the project, but she was “infrequent” and had an “unwelcome presence on set,” people close to production told The Puck News.
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'Chaotic environment on set'
The Puck further reported that Bezos’ extra-private teenage daughter worked as “an intern on the project and was even given a small role in the film.” The report also called Sanchez “inexperienced” while claiming that the 20-day shoot was fraught with challenges that resulted in important staffers leaving the project. The first assistant director, the director of photography, and the script supervisor left the production "either due to conflicts with the filmmaking team or the generally chaotic environment on set.”
A source told the news outlet that Sanchez asked to land her helicopter on set and had a “relatively lavish” trailer while conditions were sweltering hot and craft services were dire. The behind-the-scenes chaos erupted further as the cast and crew were worried about basic safety protocols, and the food wasn't much better. Insiders claimed that after Bezos paid a visit, Sanchez became persuaded that the movie required a fresh angle, which alarmed the cast as numerous sequences had already been shot. She brought back the writers, and changes were drafted, prompting key "crewmembers to throw up their hands and bail," the tipster added.
'She’s hardly inexperienced'
Reflecting on the report, a source close to Sanchez told Page Six that “Lauren’s worked with Christopher Nolan and Catherine Hardwicke, she’s hardly inexperienced. Of course, Lauren was going to ask to use her helicopter to film aerial shots. She was involved – she even brought her own jewelry for the actors to wear on film. As for the lavish trailer, it was a 30 ft. Star Waggon, one-room trailer she shared with all producers.”
The tipster called the crew’s behavior ‘sexist’, adding, “Lauren has been producing for a long time, just not in feature films. She’s a Latin woman who funded a movie with all females, which is no mean feat.” It was also reported that the director of photography left after the first week of production because he had a disagreement with the movie’s director, Kellie Madison, who was fired just a few weeks ago. Sanchez and her team are now on the lookout for another director to do additional shooting and recut the movie. The report indicated that Amazon has zero involvement in The Golden Door.