Midnight Rider subject Gregg Allman, a founding member of the iconic Southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band, is urging director Randall Miller not to proceed with production on the controversial biopic after the tragic death of camera assistant Sarah Jones.

Allman sent Miller a personal letter asking him to not move forward with the film amid reports that the director was looking to resume shooting in L.A.

“I am writing to you as one human being to another, and appealing to you from my heart,” Allman began. “I am asking you from a personal perspective not to go forward.”

This news come after star William Hurt dropped out of the project and after production was slated to move ahead in L.A.

It’s very difficult to imagine how this project could move ahead without Allman’s support, and even harder to imagine who would even go see the film given all the circumstances involved and given the amount of anger about Jones’ tragic, senseless death.

And there might be other obstacles to continued production. From the AJC’s Film accident exposes safety weaknesses on the set:

In coastal Georgia, prosecutors are weighing criminal charges in the death of a 27-year-old Atlanta woman struck by a train while filming a Greg Allman biopic in February. […]

Sheriffs†investigators in South Georgia last week turned over preliminary findings of their two-month probe. Several federal regulatory agencies are also looking into the accident and civil lawsuits are a certainty.

‘Midnight Rider†Suspends Production After Fatal Train Accident (EXCLUSIVE)

“Midnight Rider,” the Gregg Allman biopic on which a crew member was killed last week, has suspended production.

Crew members are being released, though theyâ€ve been told that they will be recalled at some future date.

Sarah Jones, the second camera assistant, was killed Thursday on the productionâ€s first day of shooting near Jessup, Georgia. The company was shooting a dream sequence on a railroad trestle, with a hospital bed on the tracks, when a train came across the bridge. Star William Hurt, director Randall Miller and the productionâ€s still photographer tried to get the bed off the tracks but did not have time.

This is the first mention in the press of star William Hurt having been on the scene of the tragic accident.

Variety also notes the possibility of criminal charges and the seeming likelihood of lawsuits. This could get ugly — or maybe I should say uglier.

Meanwhile, the new Slates for Sarah Facebook page has over 30,000 fans, and there’s a movement that has been gaining steam to have Sarah Jones included in the memorial tribute that is included at each year’s Academy Awards. Click here for the petition.

Here’s just one of many posts from that Slates for Sarah Facebook page:

From The Wrap’s William Hurt to Play Gregg Allman in Biopic ‘Midnight Riderâ€:

Oscar winner William Hurt has been cast as Gregg Allman in the biopic “Midnight Rider,” which is being produced by Randall Miller and Jody Savin of Unclaimed Freight Productions.

All-American Rejects singer/songwriter Tyson Ritter will play young Gregg Allman, while Hurt will portray the singer in present day. Wyatt Russell (“22 Jump Street”) co-stars as Duane Allman.

Also Read: William Hurtâ€s Journey to Portland Stage

“I am a tremendous fan of Williamâ€s work. I canâ€t wait to work with him,” said Miller, who will direct from a script he co-wrote with Savin.

William Hurt has had an incredible career and has remained busy for decades, but he’s never matched — who could? — the string of amazing films from 1983 to 1987: Body Heat, The Big Chill, Gorky Park, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Children of a Lesser God, and Broadcast News. I mean, wow.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Midnight Rider will begin filming in Savannah at Meddin Studios in February.

That should be another nice boost for filmmaking in Savannah.

Here’s “Just Another Rider” recorded at Elevated Basement here in Savannah: