Woody Allen has filed a $68 million suit against Amazon Studios. The director alleges the company has backed out of a multi-picture film deal because of the allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Allen’s adopted daughter Dylan Farrow has long accused Allen of molesting her when she was a child. Allen called the claims “a 25-year old, baseless allegation” in his lawsuit against Amazon.
In addition to backing out of the deal, Allen also alleges Amazon is refusing to release “A Rainy Day in New York.” The movie, starring Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, and Timothée Chalamet, has been finished for over six months. According to Allen, Amazon has not given him any specific reasons why the film has not been released. IndieWire has reached out to Amazon Studios for further comment. The lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of New York.
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Allen originally signed a five-picture deal with Amazon Studios. The releases have included “Cafe Society” and “Wonder Wheel.” Allen’s “A Rainy A Day In New York” was set to be the next movie as part of the deal but, as reported last summer, was shelved indefinitely by Amazon because of the allegations against Allen. Releasing an Allen-directed movie in the #MeToo era could pose problems for the distributor. Back when “Wonder Wheel” was set to premiere at the New York Film Festival, Amazon canceled the red carpet to reportedly avoid controversy.
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Amazon also backed Allen’s limited television series “Crisis in Six Scenes” in September 2016. After the allegation against Allen resurfaced last year, “A Rainy Day In New York” cast member Chalamet announced he would be donating his salary to Time’s Up, RAINN, and other organizations who fight against sexual harassment and abuse.
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