George Clooney had a health scare right before shooting began on his new Netflix film The Midnight Sky. The actor was diagnosed with pancreatitis and hospitalised after experiencing stomach pains just days before cameras started rolling on the sci-fi project that counts him as both director and star. The film features the 59-year-old Oscar winner as Augustine Lofthouse, an astrophysicist battling cancer who is tasked with warning a team of astronauts not to return to Earth. To get into character, the Gravity star decided to lose weight for the role. "I think I was trying too hard to lose the weight quickly and probably wasn't taking care of myself," Clooney told the Mirror. The actor also pointed out that filming in harsh climates made this shoot particularly challenging. The Midnight Sky's cast includes Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, Demián Bichir and Kyle Chandler.