Matt Dillon has been drafted in at the last minute to replace Romanian director Cristi Puiu on the jury for the 2020 Venice Film Festival.
It was announced in July that the filmmaker would be helping jury president Cate Blanchett decide which films in the main competition deserved to win prizes such as the coveted Golden Lion, the festival's highest accolade.
However, on Tuesday, Venice officials issued a statement revealing that Puiu had been replaced with Dillon due to "unexpected difficulties".
"The Venice Film Festival thanks Cristi Puiu for having accepted the appointment when it was offered, and for the sensibility he demonstrated in attempting to honour his commitment, even when unexpected difficulties arose," the statement read.
Although festival bosses didn't offer up any details, Puiu's replacement comes shortly after he hit headlines for giving an anti-mask speech as he introduced his 200-minute movie Malmkrog in person at the Transilvania International Film Festival in Romania earlier this month.
"I am sorry for you, it is a 200-minute film. To stay with your mask on while watching a 200-minute film is inhuman. And I kindly ask you to leave when you feel like leaving, when you think you cannot bear the mask anymore," he said, reports IndieWire. "Yes, there is this problem, there is an epidemic, there is a virus, but the tone of the authorities is unacceptable.
"I know you do not all agree with me and you are afraid of the pandemic. You should be afraid of some other, more serious things instead."
According to Deadline, Crash actor Dillon is believed to already be in Italy with his longtime Italian partner so he will encounter no travel issues getting to the festival during the pandemic.
Venice is the first major film festival to go ahead with its physical edition in the wake of the Covid-19 virus, kicking off on 2 September.
