Woody Allen has been dealt a career blow after bosses at Amazon Studios decided to shelve the release of his new film A Rainy Day in New York.
The romantic comedy features an all-star cast, including Call Me by Your Name actor Timothee Chalamet and Selena Gomez, and had been expected to premiere on the streaming service later this year (18).
However, on Thursday (30Aug18), it emerged that Amazon chiefs had chosen to pull the project's launch, although representatives insist "no release date has ever been set" for the movie.
Sources tell the New York Post's Page Six the film's future is now uncertain, amid claims that it has been shelved indefinitely.
The news emerges months after details of the plot were leaked last autumn (17), drawing criticism for scenes involving an older man flirting with a teenage girl, portrayed by Jude Law and Elle Fanning.
Writer/director Woody was already facing a public backlash as historic accusations of sexual assault from his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow continued to resurface in the press, particularly as the ongoing #MeToo anti-sexual misconduct movement took hold.
He has repeatedly denied the abuse claims, which were first made public in 1993, following his split from Dylan's mother Mia Farrow, and he has never faced criminal charges.
The revived controversy led Chalamet and co-star Rebecca Hall to donate their earnings from A Rainy Day in New York to charities including the Time's Up campaign against sexual harassment in January (18), after fans questioned why they had agreed to work with Allen, despite knowing his scandalous personal history.
A Rainy Day in New York, which also features Diego Luna and Liev Schreiber, was made on a $25 million (£19.3 million) budget as part of Allen's five-film deal with Amazon, which he signed in 2016.
If it does not hit screens by the end of 2018, it will mark the first time in 43 years he has not had an annual film release.
