Gregg Allman drops lawsuit Gregg Allman filed against Gregg Allman biopic

By Dan Selcke | May 14, 2014 | 2:55pm

Aux Features Film

Midnight Rider, the upcoming biopic of Allman Brothers singer Gregg Allman, now has at least one less thing to worry about. The movie—based on Allman’s memoir, My Cross To Bear—first ran into trouble this past February, when second camera assistant Sarah Jones died during an on-set accident. Actor William Hurt, who had been cast as Allman, withdrew from the movie shortly thereafter, and Gregg Allman himself asked that the project not go forward. And just as producers were probably telling themselves that at least things couldn’t get any worse, Allman filed a lawsuit demanding that production be stopped, alleging that the agreement under which Unclaimed Freight Productions secured the rights to his life story had been violated.

But now, just two weeks later, Allman has dropped that lawsuit, removing one of the many obstacles preventing Midnight Rider from becoming a soaring success, rather than a rapidly sinking ship. The Wrap reports that the suit was dismissed in the Superior Court of Chatham County on Tuesday morning, although it’s unclear what, exactly, made Allman change his mind. Whatever the reason, producers are likely relieved; their movie may still be operating in the shadow of a horrible accident and have no lead actor, but at least it’s no longer being sued by the person whose life it will depict.