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Michael Mann's HBO Show Luck Is Cancelled, For Good, After Third Horse Dies On Set

Michael Mann's HBO Show Luck Is Cancelled, For Good, After Third Horse Dies On Set

HBO's first season of Luck, a drama series about a horse racing track that featured Dustin Hoffman in the lead role as racehorse owner and organised crime figure Chester "Ace" Bernstein, got off to a slow start earlier this year with a pilot episode that was seen by only a modest 1.1 million viewers in the US. The show was nonetheless greenlit for a second season, but shooting had to be suspended after an incident on Tuesday, where one of the horses used in the show was injured in an accident and had to be euthanised.

This marks the third incident in the history of the series, since two horses died in similar circumstances during the filming of the first season. According to a story published earlier today by The Hollywood Reporter, the horse's death prompted an investigation by the American Humane Association and the California Horse Racing Board.

Regardless of what they find, the show's creators have decided to stop gambling with the lives of their animal stars. This is the press release that we just received from show runners Michael Mann and David Milch.

It is with heartbreak that executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann together with HBO have decided to cease all future production on the series LUCK.

Safety is always of paramount concern.  We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horseracing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures.  While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won't in the future.  Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision.

We are immensely proud of this series, the writing, the acting, the filmmaking, the celebration of the culture of horses, and everyone involved in its creation.

Quote from Michael Mann and David Milch:  "The two of us loved this series, loved the cast, crew and writers.  This has been a tremendous collaboration and one that we plan to continue in the future."

Sad news for fans of the show, I suppose, but at least it's good news for the horses.


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Hannah Shaw-WilliamsAbout Hannah Shaw-Williams

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