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Beloved Criterion Forum favorite Jeffrey Wells tells an Awards Watch boarder that Timothee Chalemet, Elle Fanning, and Chloe Grace Moretz will star in Allen's next film -- this would be Allen's most youth-oriented film in a long time, or if they don't interact with older adults given equal screentime, ever

I'd rather see a movie about Wells being put in a position to break actual news

I think it's pretty reasonable to assume it won't just be the three of them, and it's even pretty likely one of them is a smaller part, to make way for some other weird random older actor like Armin Mueller-Stahl or something

Moretz isn't in it, but Chalamet, Fanning, and Selena Gomez are.

There's speculation that the film Moretz mentions in Variety not being hired for due to there already being a blonde cast is this one. Gomez is interesting casting-- Allen's really hittin' up those former Disney stars lately

This will be Vittorio Storaro's third Allen film in a row.

Jude Law has quietly joined the cast of this.

And now Liev Schreiber, Diego Luna, Cherry Jones, and Rebecca Hall(!!!!!) have joined the cast.

Rebecca Hall!!!

(I sometimes wonder if Allen even remembers he has worked with these actors before)

Woody Allen said in a recent interview that the title for this film will be A Rainy Day in New York. Of course, that could change (remember how To Rome With Love was at first called Bop Decameron, then Nero Fiddled?) but it's a classy title and I hope he keeps it.

In addition to the cast members listed above, this will also star Suki Waterhouse, Annaleigh Ashford, and Kelly Rohrbach.

And the story reportedly concerns Jude Law's 44 year old character in a sexual relationship with a 15 year old "concubine." Sounds like a good idea, very youth-oriented! Woody Allen is nothing if not totally oblivious.

domino harvey wrote:Beloved Criterion Forum favorite Jeffrey Wells tells an Awards Watch boarder that Timothee Chalemet, Elle Fanning, and Chloe Grace Moretz will star in Allen's next film -- this would be Allen's most youth-oriented film in a long time, or if they don't interact with older adults given equal screentime, ever

Wells is claiming some inside knowledge that this may go to Cannes, which would be quite the spectacle.

I totally buy that they'd do it because it would guarantee an absolute cavalcade of publicity in the world press. I also totally buy that having Chalamet there with another film and inevitably snubbing Allen by not showing up seems like the cornerstone of what the story would be, but to him it just strikes him as a "well, these kinds of things only happen at Cannes!" But it's also totally a dick move and using Chalamet if they go ahead with that

DarkImbecile wrote:

domino harvey wrote:Beloved Criterion Forum favorite Jeffrey Wells tells an Awards Watch boarder that Timothee Chalemet, Elle Fanning, and Chloe Grace Moretz will star in Allen's next film -- this would be Allen's most youth-oriented film in a long time, or if they don't interact with older adults given equal screentime, ever

Wells is claiming some inside knowledge that this may go to Cannes, which would be quite the spectacle.

Please, let it be so!

I don't know why this hasn't been widely reported yet, but last week Vittorio Storaro defended Allen in an interview with Italian Vanity Fair.

I think the "insider knowledge" Wells received makes sense and that A Rainy Day in New York will probably play at Cannes. I also think there's a good chance that leading up to a potential Cannes screening more people in the film industry who either believe Allen or are agnostic about the allegations will come out to support him and the film.

I also totally buy that having Chalamet there with another film and inevitably snubbing Allen by not showing up seems like the cornerstone of what the story would be

Even though Chalamet's Instagram post and his Time's Up donation have been widely interpreted as him distancing himself from the film and Allen, there is some speculation based on a review of his Rainy Day contract that he was attempting to appeal to both Allen detractors and supporters. If Chalamet is actually agnostic about the situation, he may not snub a potential screening.

I think it would be career suicide to do that; he's got an insane Twitter following that's so overwhelmingly erring on the "we must kill Woody Allen" bandwagon that's popular with a contingent of younger people on the internet that even if he does truly have no qualms he'd organize an excuse not to do the press. I don't blame him - it's unfortunate he's the one who has to deal with it rather than, if it were Wonder Wheel, someone like Winslet who has enough goodwill and standing from her career that doing the one event wouldn't potentially turn literally everyone who's on your side against you like this probably would for Chalamet.

I have zero sympathy for an actor who made the decision to star in an Allen film and wanted the credit that often comes with that, only to turn around and decry it when it was politically expedient to do so.

Totally agree with domino here.

I suppose it’s vaguely plausible that Chalamet may have only been peripherally (or even not at all) aware of the allegations before working on the film and that it was only after doing research that he felt that he needed to distance himself from Allen. Personally, I don’t think actors should feel obliged to scrutinise directors’ personal lives in detail before signing on to their projects; I wouldn’t do that with my employer because, frankly, I wouldn’t feel it was my business, criminal record or none. But even if that’s what happened here, I agree that making the public statement he did was a bullshit move – at best, a negligent decision born out of youthful naïveté, at worst a cowardly and opportunistic act.

I personally find it hard to believe that any actor who has worked with
Allen would not at least have been vaguely aware of the allegations. If
they knew enough about Allen's reputation as a filmmaker to want to
sign onto one of his projects in the first place it would be hard not to
have had at least some inkling, considering the amount of media
coverage at the time and in the years that followed.

Pretty much. He threw his director under the bus before post-production had even finished, if I was a filmmaker I'd never want anything to do with this kid-- no matter the talent involved, who wants an employee so willing to denounce their boss before their job was even over? There were no doubt plenty of other actors who could have taken the role without guilt or showboating for new fans

nitin wrote:Totally agree with domino here.

Same. But I also am willing to forgive someone just starting out for doing the politically expedient thing. The media right now is basically in “DESTROY” mode.

I personally find it hard to believe that any actor who has worked with
Allen would not at least have been vaguely aware of the allegations.

I think they knew. They just believed that the accusation had been thoroughly investigated and thoroughly discredited (as it was). Many who are distancing themselves from Allen right now probably still believe that. But if they said that in the current media environment, they would be called “rape apologists” or “pedophile protectors.”

It was easier to be a public agnostic about the Woody Allen pedophilia allegations before Dylan Farrow gave several interviews, seizing her moment of the #MeToo movement. I believe the sentiment had shifted from "always listen to and be sympathetic to the alleged victim" to "always believe the victim". The actors had signed on to star in the film before that.

Literally so what?