The casting choices are really questionable here. Looks like the casting was done to bring in a generic movie going audience that watches movies based on the cast, but this was only going to succeed by appealing to the actual fan base. Jack Black and Kevin Hart don't need to be in every movie. I'm surprised Chris Pratt isn't in this honestly.
I have no doubt that Eddings wouldn't want to have anything to do with anything remotely close to Pitchford after that kind of treatment. If he did, that's a toxic as fuck environment to create.