Alec Baldwin’s ‘97 Minutes’ Writer-Producer on Working With the Actor After ‘Rust’: ‘We Were Validated by Sticking by Him’ (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comNaman Ramachandran Pavan Grover, a writer and producer on the recent action thriller “97 Minutes” starring Alec Baldwin, has spoken out about standing firm with the star in the aftermath of “Rust.” Grover, a Houston-based spinal surgeon with a passion for cinema, debuted as a writer in 2002 with “Unspeakable” starring Dennis Hopper, and served as a producer on “Odd Thomas” (2013), based on Dean Koontz’s novel and directed by Stephen Sommers (“The Mummy”).
Grover pitched the idea of “97 Minutes” — a ticking-clock thriller in which a hijacked airplane has 97 minutes before it runs out of fuel — when he met Baldwin serendipitously at Sundance in early 2021.
Once Baldwin was attached, the project raised coin via presales, distribution and American and international debt financing, based on the actor’s value in those markets.
Then, in October 2021, the “Rust” shooting happened. Baldwin was accused of negligently pulling the trigger on a prop gun, causing the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. “There’s sometimes a reflex that happens in Hollywood — at the first sign of trouble, they drop people,” Grover told Variety. “A lot of it was convincing the distributors that that even though it’s crisis now, he’s still the best suited for this role.” The film was eventually shot in London, where the production was trailed by paparazzi and there were some minor scuffles. “Whenever you have a trauma, the key is to get back into a normal routine.
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