Director Griff Furst says Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson seemed “not OK” during 2025 filming of “A Breed Apart”

Actor Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson were on a movie set last year where, according to the film’s director Griff Furst, the mood turned unusually heavy, with Furst saying Panettiere was “not OK” and that both performers brought what he described as “dark” energy to the production.

The remarks were made in an Instagram video posted Monday, as reported by Page Six. Furst, who directed the film “A Breed Apart,” recalled the filming period in 2025 and linked the emotional tone of the set to what he said he observed from the cast at the time.

Page Six reported that Furst characterized the atmosphere on the set as “dark,” and said Panettiere was “not OK” during production. The report does not provide additional scene-by-scene context, nor does it include direct on-the-record statements from Panettiere or Hickerson responding to the director’s comments.

Furst’s comments, as described by the outlet, come after public attention on how film productions manage on-set wellbeing, working conditions, and the ways performers and directors interpret stress during long shooting schedules. However, neither Page Six nor the underlying account it describes offers documentary details such as production delays, formal complaints, or medical or safety findings tied to the claims.

“A Breed Apart” is the project referenced in the director’s recollections. While the director’s Instagram comments describe the tone of the set, Page Six did not report new information about release timing, distribution plans, or any related studio or production company actions as a result of the video.

The report also does not identify any specific incident, confrontation, or alleged misconduct beyond Furst’s general characterization of the energy on set. In the absence of additional sourcing, the director’s statements should be understood as personal recollections from the time of filming rather than independently verified claims about the actors’ health or conduct.

Representatives for Panettiere, Hickerson, or the production were not cited by Page Six in connection with the director’s comments, and no contemporaneous official statement was reported. Any follow-up would likely hinge on whether production records, union or workplace mechanisms, or additional statements emerge that address what was said in the Instagram video.

For audiences, the dispute is likely to refocus attention on “A Breed Apart” and on how public interpretations of production experiences can ripple after release. For the industry, it highlights that even when comments remain personal and retrospective, questions about on-set wellbeing and professionalism can quickly become part of a film’s public conversation.