Woody Allen sues Amazon for 68 million dollars for refusing to release his films

Screenwriter and director Woody Allen has today launched a $ 68 million lawsuit against Amazon Studios. As reported by The Hollywood journalist and VarietyAllen says the company broke its contract with her when she refused to publish four of her films.

"Looking to capitalize on Allen's stature, talent and international track record, Amazon – a technology giant but a novice in Hollywood – has sought to develop his nascent entertainment studio by entering into a series of contracts with Allen. and his company, Gravier, promising to fund and distribute his future films and be his "home" for the rest of his career, "reads in part. "In June 2018, however, Amazon waived these agreements, claiming to terminate them without any legal basis, knowing that its actions would cause considerable prejudice to Allen, Gravier, investors, artists and members. of their staff involved in the project. make the movies. "Allen and his company had to earn between $ 68 and $ 73 million through agreements with Amazon.

Allen attributes the studio's reluctance to publish his films on "an unfounded allegation against 25-year-old Allen" – specifically, Allen's adopted daughter-in-law, Dylan Farrow, telling the world that he has had badually badaulted her as a child. The prosecution claims that Farrow's comments should not affect the agreement with Amazon, since "this claim was already well known to Amazon (and the public) before Amazon concluded four separate agreements. with Mr. Allen – and, in any event, this does not allow Amazon to terminate the contract. "

The # MeToo movement brought an account to Hollywood; the allegations and abuses that were once considered routine were brought to the fore, and the concern aroused by the public appearances began to reshape the way the industry operates. It's even an oblique reference in Allen's complaint. In December 2017, two leaders of Amazon Studios met with Allen and Co., where they "discussed the negative publicity and damage to the reputation of Amazon Studios because of the allegations made against its former president, Mr. Price, and his badociation with Harvey Weinstein. and The Weinstein Company. (Roy Price, the former head of Amazon Studios and the man who had signed the deal with Allen and his company, was fired from his post in late 2017 after allegations of harbadment At a later meeting, Allen and Amazon agreed to postpone the release of Allen's latest film, A rainy day in New Yorkuntil 2019, when the heat would likely have decreased.

This did not happen. according to The Hollywood journalist, "Six months later, after the completion of post-production work, the termination was announced to Allen:" Amazon does not intend to distribute or operate from in any way the Pictures on a national or international territory. "Amazon's lawyers have written that working with Allen had become impractical because of" unforeseen events "- talent does not come into play. would not be involved, "renewed allegations" against him and the "controversial comments" of the director himself were problematic. "Allen's complaint states that none of these comments constitute" the right to terminate Allen Film's contracts "and that this is only a" vague statement "without legal value.

Even though Allen may have legal arguments in favor of a reward, the ethical or moral arguments are more obscure. The fact that the trial, in a perverse way, means that the #MeToo movement succeeds: Allen has become so toxic that Amazon Studios would rather receive a potential success of tens of millions of dollars than release his films.