Orlando Bloom was supposed to be heading into the wilderness with Priyanka Chopra Jonas this month. Instead, Reset is dealing with both a missing leading man and reports of a behind-the-scenes shake-up that may push filming much further back.
Bloom reportedly pulled out of the independent survival thriller after remaining attached throughout pre-production. TMZ reported on August 25 that three actors were already being considered to replace him as producers scrambled to preserve the project.
A newer report adds another complication. Page Six cited a production source who said original director Matt Smukler had been replaced too close to the planned start of filming and that continuing script changes left the team without enough time to begin production confidently. The source said the movie could now be pushed into next year.
The production has also not publicly announced a replacement actor or confirmed a revised filming date.
Bloom’s Exit May Be Part of a Larger Production Shake-Up
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TMZ initially characterized Bloom’s departure as an eleventh-hour exit, reporting that he had remained involved while Reset moved through pre-production and left shortly before cameras were expected to roll. Sources told the outlet that the independent production had been financed with Bloom and Chopra attached and that his international profile was expected to help with overseas distribution. Those accounts also described frustration among people working on the movie.
On August 26, Page Six reported a different account of what was happening behind the scenes. According to one source, Smukler had been replaced as director too close to production and the screenplay was still undergoing changes, creating a broader scheduling problem that may have contributed to the situation surrounding Bloom.
IMDb currently identifies James Madigan as the director, while Fortitude International’s public Reset listing still names Smukler and Bloom and describes the project as being in pre-production with principal photography planned for the third or fourth quarter of 2026.
Three Actors Are Reportedly Being Considered for Bloom’s Role
TMZ reported that producers have already narrowed the replacement search to three leading men, although none of their names has been made public. Chopra is expected to have significant input because she is both the film’s star and a producer through Purple Pebble Pictures.
The urgency of that search may depend on whether the production still intends to film this year. TMZ’s original report said a replacement needed to be chosen quickly to keep the existing schedule intact, while Page Six’s subsequent reporting suggested the accumulated production changes could instead move filming into 2027.
In May, Smukler Was Building the Movie Around Chopra and Bloom’s Chemistry
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The uncertainty is a dramatic reversal from the way Reset was introduced only three months ago. Bloom and Chopra were announced together on May 6, when Deadline reported that Fortitude International would launch international sales at the Cannes Film Market ahead of an August production start.
Smukler was unusually specific about why he wanted those two actors. “I was looking for a pairing where attraction and mistrust could effortlessly coexist,” he said. “Priyanka and Orlando have this uncanny ability to make you believe both at once. Their chemistry is undeniable.”
Chopra subsequently promoted the project through her own social media. She and Bloom joined producers Jon and Erich Hoeber of Fratricidal Films, Michael Lazarovitch of Chemically Altered and Matthew Rhodes of Rhodes Entertainment, with Nadine de Barros serving as an executive producer.
Bloom Was Cast as the Stranger Chopra Has to Trust to Survive
Jordan Rawlins’ screenplay centers on a woman played by Chopra who wakes up in a remote wilderness with no memory of how she arrived there. Days from civilization, she discovers that her best chance of surviving is to depend on a charming stranger whose identity and motives remain uncertain.
Bloom had been cast as that stranger, making the male lead central to both the survival story and its psychological tension. The role was designed around the uncertainty of whether Chopra’s character should trust the one person capable of helping her, which helps explain why the original announcement emphasized chemistry between the two leads.