A Liam Neeson movie that seems to be entirely premised on an awkward cocaine/snow pun will be shooting in Canada after all. CBC reports the makers of Hard Powder have moved several days of production west to British Columbia.Earlier this month, Parks Canada rejected the film's application to shoot in Banff National Park because of its portrayal of an Indigenous gangster, played by Tom Jackson. The government told the film crew they had "grave concerns" over the subject matter, according to the film's location manager Mark Voyce.
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"They didn't want to offend anybody," Voyce told CBC at the time. "They told us that in almost exactly those words."In a statement to media, Parks Canada said it is "committed to reconciliation and nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous peoples." The agency "maintains the right to refuse applications" that don't line up with their mandate.The film itself reportedly has more of a BC vibe, anyway. Liam Neeson plays an "honest snowplow driver" whose kid gets murdered by a drug kingpin in an upscale ski village. He seeks vengeance, but gets caught in a battle between a Tesla-driving vegan gangster (do they have those in Alberta?) and the aforementioned Indigenous crime boss.Co-star Tom Jackson, who hails from One Arrow Reserve in Saskatchewan, has defended the script, saying it does not insult First Nations culture. "I'm totally satisfied that the humility of the characters as it relates to First Nations images is not being compromised," he told Postmedia.It's not clear whether or not Parks Canada actually sought local First Nations' perspective on the Indigenous character.Cover image of a chilly Liam Neeson in 'The Grey'.Follow Sarah on Twitter.