Woody Allen Is Suing Amazon For $68 Million For Not Releasing His Movie
Nothing makes a Hollywood A-lister squirm like being asked, “Why da fuq did you do this movie” after starring in a Woody Allen movie. Even after years of people questioning why anyone would star in a Woody movie since, well, he married his ex-wife’s stepdaughter and allegedly sexually abused his daughter, Dylan Farrow. That didn’t keep Timothée Chalamet, Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, Jude Law, and Liev Schreiber from starring in A Rainy Day In New York, but those five have likely been kneeling in gratitude (OK, maybe not Jude) since Amazon, which produced the movie, still hasn’t released it. Now Woody is suing Amazon for $68 million, or what Jeff Bezos likes to call “pocket money.”
Variety says Woody filed his lawsuit and claimed Amazon is not fulfilling its four-film deal with him because of “a 25-year-old, baseless allegation.” It also accuses Amazon of being wishy washy in why it took back a promise to produce three more movies on top of Rainy Day, which has been finished for six months:
“Amazon has tried to excuse its action by referencing a 25-year-old, baseless allegation against Mr. Allen, but that allegation was already well known to Amazon (and the public) before Amazon entered into four separate deals with Mr. Allen — and, in any event it does not provide a basis for Amazon to terminate the contract. There simply was no legitimate ground for Amazon to renege on its promises.”
Dylan might have a few things to say about that, Woody! She has maintained for years that Woody sexually abused her when she was just a child, and he has denied it all along – and given everyone from Kate Winslet to Cate Blanchett reason to hem and haw and blush in interviews when asked why they support #metoo but not, apparently, when it comes to directors.
The lawsuit says Amazon execs met with Woody around the start of the #metoo era to basically say their reputation would be screwed if they went ahead with the film given the obvious. They initially said last January they would just delay Rainy Day until 2019, but they pulled the plug on the whole deal in June.
Woody’s lawsuit seeks $68 million in damages and guaranteed payments from the original four-picture deal. Amazon already produced Woody’s films Wonder Wheel and Café Society. When the latter was announced in early 2016, Woody rather ominously said, “Like all beginning relationships, there is much hope, mutual affection and genuine goodwill — the lawsuits come later.” Ah, well. There’s still hope, Woody! I’m sure you’ll find better luck in a place with similar “talent” like yours – maybe billoreilly.com!
Pic: Wenn.com