The filming of a big-budget Apple TV Plus show appears to have left many out of pocket with the total bill sitting at a cool €1 million, or almost $1.1 million.
The show, currently using the working title Constellation, will star Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) and was reportedly being filmed in Lapland, Finland in January and February of this year. But production ended and everyone left, apparently forgetting to pick up the tab on their way out.
Now, businesses waiting for their money say that they're struggling financially as a result of the delayed payment.
'Left without paying'
A local news report notes that the show is one of Europe's most costly series of all time which suggests that its makers shouldn't be short of money. But production company Turbine Studios and Apple have been contacted about the lack of payment, saying that "the film crew arrived, consumed a lot of services and left without paying."
It's said that up to 300 members of the crew were on-site in Lapland and using the services of dozens of companies. Those companies included some that provided accommodation to the crew while others handled catering. An electrical contractor was also involved, with the largest of the unpaid bills thought to be in the region of €300,000.
Business Finland reportedly granted the series an incentive of more than €1.5 million as part of a deal that brought filming to the country. That hasn't been paid so far, partly because the production company hasn't filed the necessary paperwork detailing how much it spent — likely because it didn't pay anyone while it was there.
As for the show itself, it'll be a conspiracy-based psychological thriller, just like working for its production company it seems.
Once Constellation does finally air it'll of course be available to watch on Apple TV Plus across a range of devices. Don't want to spend Apple TV 4K money? There are plenty of Apple TV alternatives available, too.
