Woody Allen has always been loved in Europe, and for proof, you can do no better than this: The Hollywood Reporter says the comedy and filmmaking legend will be officially be shooting his next movie this summer, despite becoming persona non grata in his homeland and scorned by several of his former actors. How? By making it in Spain.
This news isn’t exactly new: It’s been known for some time that he was prepping what will be his 49th feature in Europe. But now we know details. For one, it will star Christoph Waltz, Gina Gershon, Wallace Shawn, plus European stars Sergei Lopez (Pan’s Labyrinth), Louis Garrel (The Dreamers), and Elena Anaya (Dr. Poison from Wonder Woman). The plot, as per THR:
The story centers on a married American couple who go to the San Sebastian Film Festival and get caught up in the magic of the event, the beauty and charm of Spain and the fantasy of movies. She has an affair with a brilliant French movie director, and he falls in love with a beautiful Spanish woman who lives there.
In other words, it sounds like one of Allen’s fizzier romantic-comedies, not his dark night of the soul philosophical blockbusters.
One possible reason he’s keeping things light? His career and reputation have taken a nosedive. When the #MeToo movement first gained momentum in late 2017, there was renewed interest in longstanding allegations of sexual misconduct lodged against him. In the early 1990s, Allen was accused of molesting Dylan Farrow, the daughter of his ex-partner Mia Farrow, when she was seven years old. Allen has long denied the claims, and multiple investigations have found no wrongdoing on his part.
Still, the backlash led Amazon to shelve his last movie, A Rainy Day in New York, which stars Miley Cyrus and Timothee Chalamet. This prompted Allen to file a lawsuit against them. Meanwhile, several of his former actors have distanced themselves from him while siding with the Farrows. A Rainy Day in New York will still open in other parts of the globe, though.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)
