Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
The Schmooze

Amazon Doesn’t Want To Make Woody Allen’s Films. So He’s Suing Them.

Woody Allen is confused. In late August 2017, Amazon Studios acquired exclusive rights to the next four movies made by Woody Allen. Amazon Studio head Roy Price told Allen that he wanted the studio to be his home for the rest of his career.

Now, Amazon Studios doesn’t want to make any more of Allen’s movies. Allen is suing his former employers for $68 million breach of contract, Variety reports. In fact, the studio has yet to release Allen’s latest, “A Rainy Day In New York,” which has been ready for distribution for over six months. In fact, Allen contends, just four months after his major contract as well as a standing invitation to stay with the studio, representatives from Amazon made it clear that they were no longer interested in working with Woody Allen.

August to December 2017. What could have changed?

Initially, Allen’s team claims, Amazon executives claimed Allen’s name was tainted because of his connection to Harvey Weinstein as well as his deal with Price, who by then had quit his role at the media giant over a sexual harassment allegation.

Then, in January 2018, Amazon proposed that the release of Allen’s “A Rainy Day In New York” be delayed. By then, the bulk of the stars of that movie, as well as other actors who had been directed by Allen, had issued public apologies for working with him. In June 2018, an Amazon executive sent a note to Allen, reading, “notice that Amazon is terminating the Agreement with respect to each of the Picture.” The suit adds that the studio does not intend to distribute Allen’s completed movie.

Allen was accused of sexual abuse by his daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992. Farrow has maintained that allegation ever since, speaking about it most openly in adulthood in 2015. Allen, who also had an affair with is girlfriend Mia Farrow’s daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, and then married her, has always denied the accusation. His career has never appeared to suffer — he put out at least one movie per year from 1982 until 2019, enjoying accolades and a place in the pantheon of great American movie makers.

Now, Allen says, the studio that promised to usher his swan song onto the silver screen is refusing to distribute or produce any more of his movies “by referencing a 25-year-old, baseless allegation against Mr. Allen.” The suit points out that the “allegation was already well known to Amazon (and the public) before Amazon entered into four separate deals with Mr. Allen.” Amazon knew Allen was an accused child abuser, but contracted him anyway. Ethically, Allen seems to argue, Amazon is being hypocritical.

Poor Woody Allen! It is too late, perhaps, for justice. The closest thing to it, argues the venerated one percent-er, is $68 million.

Jenny Singer is the deputy life/features editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.