UK Taxpayers Cover Costs for Unpaid Crew After Simon Pegg’s Film ‘Angels In The Asylum’ Fails
Crew Members of "Angels in the Asylum" Begin to Receive Partial Payments a Year After Production Collapse
A year after the production of Angels in the Asylum, led by Simon Pegg, faced a sudden collapse, some of the crew members are finally beginning to receive partial payments. This financial relief is being provided not by the film’s producers but rather through the British government’s Redundancy Payments Service.
The Redundancy Payments Service has stepped in to reimburse a portion of the approximately £600,000 ($800,000) owed to those employed on the indie film, which abruptly halted its month-long shoot in February 2025.
The film was organized under AITA Films Limited, with Rob Sorrenti serving as both producer and director. Heather Greenwood, known for co-producing Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, also played a key role. Although Pegg starred in the film and held the position of executive producer, he was not involved in its financing and did not receive payment for his contributions.
While some crew members have been notified of payment from the Redundancy Payments Service—funded by National Insurance contributions—many are not receiving the full amount they are owed. One crew member expressed disappointment, expecting to receive only about a third of their due payments. “It’s absolutely outrageous,” the crew member said. “The government is paying up for the mistakes of the producers. This is not why I pay my taxes. Pegg and the executive producers could write this off in a second and pay everyone off.”
In response to these grievances, an AITA Films spokesperson stated, “Crew payments are being handled through the standard insolvency process.” The company entered administration in April, a status akin to Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States. While Sorrenti and Greenwood described this move as a "precautionary and temporary measure," the situation has lingered, with around £3.8 million ($5 million) now owed to creditors.
The production team acknowledged the dissatisfaction of their crew previously. During the collapse, Pegg reassured team members, stating, “We’re making something really special here, something important. This is a crisis, but it’s also an opportunity, and we’ll be back soon.”
In December, Kallis Insolvency Practitioners, the administrator for AITA Films, reported that the company was in detailed discussions with a potential rescue investor, fueling speculation about the film’s revival over the summer. However, an AITA Films spokesperson later clarified, “That is not currently the case.”
Angels in the Asylum features an ensemble cast, including Katherine Waterston, Minnie Driver, Lesley Nicol, Rose Williams, Aurora Perrineau, and Alex Jennings. The film is inspired by true events, depicting the forced confinement of women deemed typhoid carriers at Surrey’s Long Grove Asylum during the 1930s.
