Jude Law Says ‘It’s a Terrible Shame’ New Woody Allen Movie Got Shelved
Zack Sharf
Jude Law is currently starring as Dumbledore in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” but the Wizarding World blockbuster wasn’t supposed to be his only film released before the end of 2019. Law has a role in “A Rainy Day in New York,” the latest Woody Allen film that was expected to drop in theaters before the end of the year, which has been indefinitely shelved by Amazon Studios.
“It’s a terrible shame,” Law recently told The New York Times about “A Rainy Day in New York” not seeing the light of day in theaters. “I’d love to see it. People worked really hard and put a lot in, obviously himself included.”
“A Rainy Day in New York” stars Law opposite Elle Fanning, Timothée Chalamet, Selena Gomez, and Rebecca Hall. Amazon Studios reportedly spent $25 million on the film’s production budget, but distributing an Allen movie would be incredibly controversial in the #MeToo era. The director’s name has been in countless headlines over the last year as his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, resurfaced her allegation accusing Allen of child molestation. Allen has denied the accusation.
Earlier this year, Chalamet and Hall announced they were donating their salaries from “A Rainy Day In New York” to anti-harassment organizations like Time’s Up and RAINN. Hall even came forward to say she regretted working with Allen on the film, which reunited her with the director after “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” Law declined to comment on the allegation against Allen when asked by The Times.
“I didn’t really want to get involved, to be honest. I just don’t feel like it was my place to comment, and it’s too delicate a situation,” Law said. “I feel like enough has been said about it. It’s a private affair. [As for working with Allen again], I don’t know. I’d have to consider carefully.”
When asked how #MeToo has shaped the way he chooses his roles, Law said, “You always have to look at the impact a part is going to have and how a part is handled.” The actor referenced his upcoming role opposite Carrie Coon in Sean Durkin’s “The Nest.” The movie is a psychodrama where Law’s character and other characters in an office setting mistreat female employees.
“It was set in 1986,” Law said, “and people were discussing, ‘Do we slap them on the ass or use derogatory terms?’ And I was like, ‘Wait a minute, we’re not in the ’80s. We’re making this film now.’ So yeah, you can include that if you make a point in saying, ‘We were wrong.’ But if you’re not, then there’s no point in just continuing the myth.”
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is now playing in theaters nationwide.
