After many delays, public apologies from some of its actors, and a lawsuit and subsequent settlement between Woody Allen and Amazon, the controversial director’s A Rainy Day in New York has finally been released — to mediocre reviews and little-to-no fanfare — on VOD and digital platforms. And as a new Daily Beast article points out, it could very well be the film that finally “cancels” Allen.
The piece chronicles the way the Harvey Weinstein allegations and the Me Too movement reignited interest in the decades-old claims of sexual abuse against Allen by his daughter Dylan Farrow, and how it quickly became no longer socially acceptable to work with him despite years of Hollywood turning a blind eye. Here is a brief recap of how it all went down.
Oct. 14, 2017: The Tick actor Griffin Newman, who had a small role in the movie, is the first to speak out, tweeting that he regretted taking a part in the film and believed Allen is guilty. He donated his entire salary from the movie to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. “It was an educational experience for all the wrong reasons. I learned conclusively that I cannot put my career over my morals again,” he said.
Jan. 12, 2018: Rebecca Hall, who had a supporting role in the movie and also starred in Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, announced she would be donating her salary. “After reading and re-reading Dylan Farrow’s statements of a few days ago and going back and reading the older ones – I see, not only how complicated this matter is, but that my actions have made another woman feel silenced and dismissed,” she wrote on Instagram. “I regret this decision and wouldn’t make the same one today. It’s a small gesture and not one intended as close to compensation but I’ve donated my wage to @timesup.”
Jan. 15, 2018: Timothée Chalamet follows suit, becoming the first major star of the film to do so. “I have been asked in a few recent interviews about my decision to work on a film with Woody Allen last summer,” he wrote on Instagram. “What I can say is this: I don’t want to profit from my work on the film, and to that end, I am going to donate my entire salary.”
Jan. 16, 2018: After some criticism for not following the lead of her costars, Selena Gomez quietly makes a “significant donation” to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund that “far exceeded her salary from the film.”
June 2018: Amazon backs out of its deal with Allen, informing him that “Amazon does not intend to distribute or otherwise exploit the Pictures in any domestic or international territories.”
September 2018: Page Six reports that Amazon has officially shelved A Rainy Day in New York.
October 2020: The movie is released on six screens in the U.S., earning about $457 each, which as the Daily Beast notes, totals “roughly 300 ticket buyers and a meager $2,744.”
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