Controversial film director, Woody Allen, suffered another setback after his new film “A Rainy Day in New York” was dropped by producing studio, Amazon. Subsequently, Allen launched a massive $68 million breach of contract claim against Amazon. As a silver lining, Allen’s film has been picked up by a new distributor and is slated for a release.
According to Variety, distribution company, Lucky Red, have acquired the rights to release the film. Current rumours suggest the film will be released 3 October, fuelling speculation that the film will premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Unfortunately, American, British and Australian viewers may have to wait a while to view the film, as no plans have been announced regarding a premiere date in these countries.
Lots of rainy days for the film
This wasn’t the first setback for Allen’s new film. In fact, the film has been shrouded in controversy since 2018, in which sexual assault allegations against Allen re-emerged. He is reported to have assaulted his daughter, Dylan Farrow, however, Allen has always denied the charges.
Several actors on the film admitted regret at having worked with Allen, including Academy Award-nominee, Timothee Chalamet. Academy Award-winner Colin Firth, while not directly involved in the new film, also expressed his regret at having worked with Allen. Natalie Portman did a similar thing when she retracted her support for polarising director, Roman Polanski, who fled the US following an under-age sex case in 1977. Conversely, acclaimed actor, Javier Bardem, voiced support for Allen, along with Angelic Huston, who worked with the controversial director on “Crimes and Misdemeanours.”