Woody Allen strikes back

It's about time.

Woody Allen is suing Amazon for backing out of their deal for no legitimate reason. They've shelved his movie, Rainy Day in New York which they're contractually obligated to release. 

You know how I kept saying that Woody Allen should self-finance his movies? He was way ahead of me. The lawsuit claims that Amazon owes him $9 million that he spent making the movie. 

According to the New York Times:

Allen’s filing in New York federal court states: “Amazon has tried to excuse its action by referencing a 25-year-old, baseless allegation against Mr Allen, but that allegation was already well known to Amazon (and the public) before Amazon entered into four separate deals with Mr Allen – and, in any event it does not provide a basis for Amazon to terminate the contract … There simply was no legitimate ground for Amazon to renege on its promises.”

Allen also says he is owed $9m (£7m) by Amazon after financing the production of A Rainy Day in New York himself, and that Amazon committed to releasing the film for a minimum of 90 days. The complaint also says that Amazon attempted to terminate their agreements in June 2018 with no “legal or factual basis”.

Variety reports:

According to the suit, Amazon executives Jason Ropell and Matt Newman met with Allen’s representatives in December 2017, as the #MeToo movement was first gathering steam. The executives cited the reputational harm Amazon had suffered due to its association with Harvey Weinstein and the misconduct allegations against former Amazon Studios head Roy Price. In January 2018, the streamer’s general counsel, Ajay Patel, proposed delaying the release of “A Rainy Day in New York” until 2019, which Allen accepted.

The suit alleges that Patel sent a notice in June 2018 terminating the four-picture agreement, saying that Amazon had no intention to distribute any of the films. According to the suit, Patel did not provide a reason for terminating the deal. Subsequently, Amazon’s representatives stated they were canceling the agreement, due to “supervening events, including renewed allegations against Mr. Allen, his own controversial comments, and the increasing refusal of top talent to work with or be associated with him in any way, all of which have frustrated the purpose of the Agreement.”

The suit seeks $68 million in minimum guarantee payments arising from the four films, in addition to damages and attorneys fees. The suit was filed in the Southern District of New York.