Those behind the film “Daniel’s Gotta Die” are saddened that Bob Saget didn’t live to see it.
The movie, set to premiere later this month at the Austin Film Festival, stars Saget in what turned out to be his final starring role in a film. The actor and comedian died January at the age of 65.
“Bob’s passing came as a shock to the entire ‘Daniel’s Gotta Die’ team. He was a collaborator through and through and he really loved this film,” Jeremy LaLonde, the film’s director, said in a statement. “It’s with great sadness that he never got to see it finished. I can’t wait to see how audiences react to his final performance at Austin Film Festival with his final gift to all that loved him.”
Matthew Dressel, a writer on the film, said Saget brought his heart to the project.
“Bob truly loved the script and took on a very fatherly role right from the start; eager to help out in any way he could,” Dressel said.
“He really brought the character’s heart to the surface of the script and was intent on making sure he always got it just right. On set he always had the script pages in-hand and spoke with me often about making sure the character was as I intended,” he added. “If there’s one person who deserved to see this film it’s Bob and I will always be sad he cannot. He helped us craft a beautiful and heart-warming send-off and I think people will really appreciate it.”
The movie centers around a man trying to reconnect with his family who would rather kill him for his inheritance. It also stars Joel David Moore, Jason Jones, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Carly Chaikin, and Iggy Pop.
More than 33 films are included in this year’s festival, which is set to run from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3 in Austin, Texas.
