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Filmmaker Woody Allen announces retirement

Woody Allen’s 50th film, Wasp 22 will also be his last. The rom-com director has announced that he is hanging up his hat.

With his 50th film, Wasp 22 currently in pre-production, Woody Allen has revealed that it will be his final directorial offering before retirement. The director of Annie Hall describes the forthcoming film as “a poisonous romantic thriller,” similar to his 2005 hit, Match Point. Additionally, it will be shot entirely in French. The cast has yet to be announced.

Allen has faced a lot of difficulty in the last few years with getting his films distributed, due to the resurgent allegations of sexual abuse against his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow in 1992.  

Woody allan selena gomez
Credit: Woody Allen files

Allen has vehemently denied the claims and has never been officially charged. Nonetheless, it has effectively ended his ability to work in the United States. His last movie, A Rainy Day in New York starring Selena Gomez and Timothee Chalamet had a contentious release, with Chalamet publicly distancing himself from the director, by donating the entirety of his pay cheque from the film, to survivors of sexual abuse.

Amazon Studios also shelved the film after accusing Allen of “sabotaging” the future of the movie through his comments on the abuse accusations. Allen sued the studios for $68 million, alleging a breach of contract, which was later settled out of court. In what the director is calling his twilight years, he says he plans to focus the rest of his energy on writing.

While best known for writing screenplays that he usually directs himself, Allen has published five collections of humorous short stories, a memoir, and 10 works for the theater. Allen’s memoir, Apropos of Nothing was initially set to be published by Hachette in 2020. However, it was pulled after employees, and Hachette author, Ronan Farrow, voiced complaints. (Farrow was the investigative journalist whose work was instrumental in the downfall of Harvey Weinstein, and is also Woody Allen’s son). 

Apropos of Nothing was eventually published by Arcade. Wasp 22 will be Allen’s 50th film.