While Gulf Coast residents prepare for the worst as Tropical Storm Isaac draws near, a movie production has shut down to try and weather the storm. Shooting has halted for one week on The Butler, director Lee Daniels' biopic about longtime White House butler Eugene Allen, played by Forest Whitaker.

The drama had been shooting in New Orleans since late July, and they were expected to wrap on September 7. Production shut down on Monday for the entire week, as the cast and crew relocated to drier climates. The storm is expected to hit New Orleans today, August 29. The movie was the only motion picture shooting in the city this week.

Forest Whitaker leads an all-star cast as Eugene Allen, who served as the White House butler for over 35 years, a tenure that spanned eight different U.S. Presidents, from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan. Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Liam Neeson, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Terrence Howard also star.