A Chicago single mother was delighted when she learned she had been hired as a background performer for Little Five, the upcoming film co-produced by Anne Hathaway’s company.
‘I was really excited at first,’ the actress, who requested anonymity, told the Daily Mail. ‘I didn’t know Hathaway was involved before I signed up, but I was a huge fan.’
The job offered more than a chance to be near Hollywood professionals. It also promised extra income that could help her cover household expenses.
She drove her own car more than 100 miles from Chicago to Bloomington, Indiana, where filming took place at Indiana University over a week spanning late July and August.
The aspiring actress said the producers initially appeared to have a handle on the thousands of extras. However, she claimed the organization deteriorated as the shoot continued, becoming ‘messier and messier.’
Several people familiar with the production described long days in intense heat, meals they considered disappointing and payment problems that left some cast and crew waiting months for all of their money.
The upcoming Little Five has faced controversy surrounding its production, which was co-produced by Anne Hathaway’s company Somewhere Pictures
Zachary Spicer’s Pigasus Pictures also produced the sports drama, which is reportedly scheduled to premiere in 2027
‘Of everyone involved, Hathaway should understand how a production is supposed to work,’ the source told the Daily Mail.
Hathaway, 43, has enjoyed a decades-long acting career in movies including The Princess Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada and The Odyssey. In 2024, she and her husband, Adam Shulman, launched Somewhere Pictures.
Since its creation, the relatively young production company has released fewer than a handful of projects, among them Hathaway’s latest box-office success, Verity, based on Colleen Hoover’s novel.
In July, Deadline reported that Somewhere Pictures and Indiana-based Pigasus Pictures were preparing to shoot Little Five.
Pigasus Pictures CEO Zachary Spicer told the Daily Mail exclusively that the film was ‘independently financed’ and that his company handled its physical production, apparently distancing Hathaway and Somewhere Pictures from the reported complaints.
Inspired by Indiana’s Little 500 bicycle race, Little Five centers on collegiate women who helped transform the sport. Ariana Greenblatt, known for Barbie, and Rain Spencer, who appeared in The Summer I Turned Pretty, were cast in the leading roles.
For some of the performers lower down the production hierarchy, however, the experience proved far less smooth.
The anonymous actress said she was surprised to discover that some background performers received free overnight lodging in campus dormitories, while others were required to pay for their own rooms.
‘They only offered the dorms to certain people,’ she claimed. ‘Many people drove a long way, while others paid for hotels. That seemed crazy because we were earning so little each day. They were basically working for free.’
She also said she was informed that some travel expenses could be reimbursed, although she believed other performers were unaware that assistance was available.
Sources told the Daily Mail that filming at Indiana University (pictured) became increasingly disorganized as the week progressed
One actress said she was offered a place to sleep in campus housing, but claimed the opportunity was not extended to everyone, leaving some performers paying for hotels
‘You had to ask for it,’ the source said. ‘If you didn’t ask, you didn’t receive it. I was telling other people, “Make sure you ask,” because it wasn’t advertised even though it was supposedly available to everyone.’
The Daily Mail understands that lodging and travel for background performers were generally arranged by an outside casting company rather than by Somewhere Pictures or Pigasus Pictures.
Much of the shoot took place outdoors during the height of summer, with temperatures reaching between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to the source, production assistants struggled to keep performers supplied with water and umbrellas as everyone dealt with the oppressive sun.
‘I genuinely felt sorry for the crew,’ she said.
‘Everyone was getting burned and overheated. They supplied sunscreen and tried to schedule breaks, but it was extremely difficult.’
Some sequences were particularly demanding because performers had to cycle for hours on the race tracks.
‘That’s when the whole situation became especially chaotic,’ the source claimed.
The actress said the wardrobe made conditions even harder. Because the story is set in autumn, performers were dressed in clothing intended to suggest cooler weather.
She claimed she saw Greenblatt, 19, and Spencer, 26, pushed physically as they were expected to ride bicycles themselves.
Ariana Greenblatt and Rain Spencer portray the lead characters in Little Five
A source described the summer conditions as ‘brutal,’ saying performers were ‘fried’ despite sunscreen and scheduled breaks (women competing in the 2024 Little 500 pictured)
‘They did their best, but they aren’t experienced cyclists,’ she said.
‘There were stunt performers, but the actresses still had to repeat many shots because the cameras needed close-ups of their faces.’
The source said she never heard the two stars complain, although some background performers openly objected to the cycling demands. She claimed several people quit because the work was so intense.
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Greenblatt and Spencer for comment.
At one stage, the heat became severe enough that some people reportedly began showing signs of heat exhaustion.
‘It was frightening,’ the source said, adding that another woman appeared to develop a skin reaction and was ‘breaking out.’
A second source who spoke with the Daily Mail said they personally suffered a mild case of heat exhaustion later in the week and had to miss work.
‘The heat was relentless,’ that source said.
Little Five draws on the history of the Little 500 bicycle race and the women who helped redefine it (the 2024 race pictured)
Spicer, pictured right, has not responded to the Daily Mail’s request for comment on the reported complaints
‘Most of my time on set was spent outside in extremely hot, humid weather. I have asthma, so I had to be especially cautious.’
The second source acknowledged that the production did try to help, providing Gatorade and electrolyte packets, although they said those efforts appeared more consistent at the start of filming.
‘Whenever someone felt sick or too hot, even during a scene, they told us to sit down and take care of ourselves,’ the source said. ‘They did give us breaks.’
Responding to the allegations, Spicer told the Daily Mail that the safety of the cast, crew, background performers and local community is ‘always’ Pigasus Pictures’ highest priority.
‘Outdoor filming included cooling tents, portable air-conditioning units, shaded areas, staff assigned to hydration, medical teams, EMTs and ambulances,’ he said.
‘Everyone was encouraged to report health concerns immediately and was instructed to put personal safety ahead of any shot or performance requirement.’
Sources confirmed that a medical tent was available on the set.
However, the first source said performers discussed allegations that the medic had behaved flirtatiously toward some women and made them uncomfortable.
‘People considered it very unprofessional,’ she said. ‘Someone mentioned it, and that’s how I heard about it.’
The source alleged that the medic had faced ‘multiple complaints’ but remained on set, saying she saw him through her final day of filming. ‘I assume he was simply spoken to,’ she speculated.
Spicer said production had ‘no record of any reports of inappropriate conduct involving its medical personnel.’
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The first source also described concerns about a second man hired as a background performer, who allegedly behaved strangely around women on set.
Sources told the Daily Mail that some people experienced heat exhaustion while filming outdoors at Indiana University
A source alleged that two men on the production made women uncomfortable, including a staff member working at the medical tent
The unnamed performer reportedly traveled to Bloomington by Greyhound and slept overnight in a tent on campus rather than using the dormitories.
‘He argued with the wardrobe department, and it became a disaster on one of my first days,’ the first source claimed. She also alleged that he flirted with women and picked one of them up without invitation.
‘He told some women, “I love you,” and referred to one as his wife,’ the source said.
The man was eventually dismissed, according to the source, although she claimed production took time to remove him.
Spicer confirmed that an incident involving the background performer had occurred, telling the Daily Mail that production was alerted to a concern and acted immediately.
‘The individual was removed from the premises, and additional security measures were put in place,’ he said.
Performers who endured the long shooting days were served meals on set. The first source said the menu consisted largely of chicken and rice.
‘It felt like prison food—chicken and rice every day,’ she said. ‘A lot of people seemed to skip meals because they didn’t enjoy it.’
The actress said she is not strictly vegetarian but does not eat chicken, leaving her to eat ‘rice all week.’
Pizza was served on one day, although a Reddit thread posted in late July included complaints about that meal too.
Pizza was among the meals served to performers, although some online complaints described it as too cold to eat
‘When we got back inside at 2:30, the pizza was cold. They had said we would break halfway through, not 90 minutes before the scheduled end,’ one user wrote.
Another commenter said performers stayed until 4 a.m., while costumes had not been approved and a proper style guide was not distributed until the afternoon of the final filming day.
The second source, who was paid as an actor, offered a different account, saying the production provided buffet-style meals that were better than food on some other sets.
Spicer also rejected the suggestion that performers lacked a range of meal choices.
‘Meals were provided every day for cast, crew and background performers, with multiple protein, starch and vegetable options,’ he told the Daily Mail.
The first source described morale as inconsistent but said the atmosphere appeared to improve toward the end of the week.
‘People were leaving in large numbers,’ she claimed. ‘Our contracts covered eight hours. Staying longer meant time-and-a-half pay, but no one was required to remain.’
The source said production thanked everyone for participating but did not directly address the complaints, even as workers struggled through the heat with ‘sweat pouring down their faces.’
Neither source said they saw Hathaway on set. Still, toward the end of filming, rumors spread that the Oscar-winning actress may have visited.
‘We suspected she had stopped by because security suddenly increased. There were private security guards around repeatedly that day, which was also when the major race was filmed,’ the second source said.
‘The lead actors disappeared at one point, and we thought they might have gone to take a photo with her.’
The extent of Hathaway’s involvement in Little Five’s production remains unclear
Two sources told the Daily Mail they believed Hathaway visited the Indiana University set, citing increased security and rumors among performers, although neither saw her personally
The first source said the background performers were shown a video message from Hathaway thanking them for their work, which she described as ‘very sweet.’
After filming ended, the background performers expected to be paid within two or three weeks, which the sources said is typical for the industry.
The single mother was counting on receiving the full $1,025 she had earned during the week. Instead, she said the first portion did not arrive until a month later, in September.
‘I thought working the entire week meant I would receive the full payment afterward, but that didn’t happen,’ she said. ‘The money came in small installments.’
‘As a single mother, that was extremely difficult. I needed the entire amount, so having it arrive piece by piece was devastating.’
She said the final installment did not arrive until October.
Although she ultimately received the money, she said she was concerned that ‘some people have not been paid at all.’
The second source said they had received part of their wages but were still waiting for a paycheck worth approximately $200 when interviewed by the Daily Mail.
Hathaway and Adam Shulman founded Somewhere Pictures in 2024. It remains unknown whether they knew about the reported production problems, including delayed payments
That performer said they contacted Pigasus Pictures executives for assistance. While the initial exchanges appeared promising, communication eventually stopped.
‘It feels insulting because the pay is already so low. We’re making Indiana’s minimum wage,’ the first source said.
‘As a single mother, I depended on that extra check. I had missed work, arranged child care and lost money because of the shoot. It created a lot of pressure.’
The accounts from the two sources mirror complaints posted by other cast and crew members on Reddit and Instagram. The Daily Mail contacted several additional people, some of whom declined to comment after being paid, while others did not want to jeopardize future work.
The Daily Mail also obtained three wage complaints filed with the Illinois Department of Labor by Little Five staffers, as scenes were filmed in Chicago as well. The claims sought $2,950, $4,015.12 and $1,369.80 in unpaid wages.
In September, Spicer acknowledged to local Indiana outlet Fox 59 that the production had experienced a payroll problem, although he did not explain what caused it.
‘The payroll issue has been resolved, and we apologize to those who gave their time and talent to the film and were affected,’ he told Fox 59.
Spicer later told the Daily Mail that he had reviewed the production records and maintained that all cast members, crew and background performers had been paid in full. He also said the production remained in good standing with its unions.
He explained that more than 10,000 background performers were involved, making the process of checking paperwork and daily records especially time-consuming, particularly for those who returned for additional days.
Hathaway has not publicly commented on the reported problems surrounding the production.
‘I believe she should investigate and find out what happened,’ the second source said. ‘Even if her company was not directly responsible, her name will still be connected to the film.’
‘I hope Anne Hathaway had as little involvement as possible, but we simply don’t know,’ the first source added.
‘I hope she eventually makes things right and addresses the situation, because people deserve to know what happened.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Hathaway’s representatives and Somewhere Pictures for comment but has not received a response.
Spicer told the Daily Mail that he accepts responsibility for the production.
He said: ‘I am responsible for the production’s financial administration, payroll, staffing and daily operations on set. Suggesting that anyone other than me should be associated with these issues would be inaccurate, unfair and unkind.’
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