The producers behind under fire movie The Salt Path have said they “undertook all necessary due diligence before acquiring the book.”
Responding to a bombshell investigation in The Observer that questioned many of the claims made in the movie’s source material, a spokeswoman for Number 9 Films and Shadowplay Features said: “There were no known claims against the book at the time of optioning it or producing and distributing the film.”
The producers were only made aware of allegations at the end of last week when contacted by The Observer journalist who wrote the investigation, they added.
Starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, the movie is an adaptation of a supposedly true-to-life book about Raynor Winn and her husband Moth Winn’s journey along the South of England coast after they lose their home and Moth Winn is diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration.
The Observer’s report alleges that Raynor Winn, whose real name was revealed to be Sally Walker, was once arrested after being accused of stealing tens of thousands of pounds from her employer. This is never mentioned in The Salt Path book, which instead says that Raynor Winn and her husband lost their home after being taken advantage of by a childhood friend of Moth Winn’s. The events surrounding the loss of their home are also disputed by the report, along with the fact that the couple were made homeless.
Via a spokeswoman, Raynor Winn has called the Observer article “highly misleading.” “We are taking legal advice and won’t be making any further comment at this time,” the spokesperson said. “The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. This is the true story of our journey.”
Number 9 and Shadowplay’s statement called the movie “a faithful adaptation of the book that we optioned,” adding, “we undertook all necessary due diligence before acquiring the book.”
“The allegations made in The Observer relate to the book and are a matter for the author Raynor Winn,” added the statement. “We have passed any correspondence relating to the article to Raynor and her agent.”
The affair is an embarrassing and potentially problematic one for those involved in the movie, which opened in May and has so far taken more than $10M at the UK box office. The movie is yet to launch in key territories including Germany and France while a deal is reportedly still pending in the U.S.
Deadline has reached out to reps for Anderson and Isaacs, along with BBC Film and Rocket Science, for comment.
