Handy died after being found with a stab wound to his chest on June 3. He was 81.

James Handy’s final film scrapped after late actor’s murder, producer says

Handy died after being found with a stab wound to his chest on June 3. He was 81.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Popsugar.

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June 6, 2026 3:30 p.m. ET

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James Handy on 'NYPD Blue'. Credit:

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

- Producer Heidi Anderson-Swan says James Handy's final movie project has officially been axed after the late actor's murder.

- Handy was fatally stabbed Wednesday morning and pronounced dead at a local hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. He was 81.

- Michael Gledhill was arrested on June 3 in connection to the stabbing, and taken to jail, where he was booked for one count of murder.

The final project of late veteran actor James Handy will not be seen by his fans as the project has been scrapped after his death on Wednesday.

Heidi Anderson-Swan, who served as writer and producer of the now-cancelled feature titled *Kickback, V*, shared the news with TMZ on Saturday. The outlet reported that the comedy film was set to center a group of nerds learning martial arts and follow the relationship that forms between the students and their karate sensei.

Anderson-Swan told the outlet that Handy was one of the sweetest people she's met in Hollywood, and credited the late actor for helping her "a few times" on projects when she was breaking into the industry. It was the reason she had to have him in her film.

James Handy on 'Castle'.

Adam Larkey/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

However, Anderson-Swan shared that the film had already been halted in pre-production due to several issues, including funding. Handy's death was the reckoning for the entire project.

The producer added that she is shocked over Handy’s death. Authorities arrested 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, the son of Handy's girlfriend, and charged him with murder.

Anderson-Swan did not immediately respond when ** reached out for comment.

Handy died on Wednesday after being stabbed to death. He was found in the front yard of the home, unconscious with a stab wound to his chest, after West Valley area patrol officers responded to a call regarding unspecified trouble in the Tarzana neighborhood around 9:30 a.m. The 911 caller reportedly stated, "I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin."

The actor was taken to a local hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics, where he was pronounced dead.

'Jumanji' actor James Handy made last public appearance 9 years before being fatally stabbed at 81

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Investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department allege that Handy was killed by Gledhill, who was arrested after authorities allege he flagged down nearby responding officers and identified himself as the person they were looking for. Gledhill was taken to Van Nuys Jail, where he was booked on one count of murder, with bail set at $2 million.

Information about Gledhill's legal representation was not immediately available.

According to authorities, the stabbing is believed to be "an isolated incident and there appears to be no danger to the public at this time."

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Wendy Gledhill broke her silence on Friday, fighting back tears as she spoke to reporters outside her Los Angeles home. As she explained to TMZ, her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia in July 2025 and had been taking his prescribed medication, but stopped about a week before the *Jumanji* actor was fatally stabbed.

"I'm just trying to make it through one day at a time, a minute at a time," Wendy, 76, told the *California Post*. “I loved James and my son. I still can't believe it… I can't believe my son did it."

Wendy told TMZ that while Handy and Michael did not always see eye-to-eye, they did have a "cordial" relationship.

She also expressed a message for Handy's family. "They know I loved him so much," she said tearfully. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry this happened. I'm still in shock. I still can't comprehend it."

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Source: “EW Film”