Woody Allen, Amazon end legal dispute over movie deal
FILE - In this Tuesday, July 2, 2019 file photo, director Woody Allen attends a press conference at La Scala opera house, in Milan, Italy. The filmmaker had sued Amazon in February after the online giant ended his contract without ever releasing a completed film, "A Rainy Day in New York." Amazon had responded that Allen, whose daughter Dylan has accused him of molesting her, breached the deal by making insensitive remarks about the #MeToo movement. In papers filed Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, in U.S. District Court, Allen and Amazon agreed that the case should be dismissed without prejudice. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) FILE - In this Tuesday, July 2, 2019 file photo, director Woody Allen attends a press conference at La Scala opera house, in Milan, Italy. The filmmaker had sued Amazon in February after the online giant ended his contract without ever releasing a completed film, "A Rainy Day in New York." Amazon had responded that Allen, whose daughter Dylan has accused him of molesting her, breached the deal by making insensitive remarks about the #MeToo movement. In papers filed Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, in U.S. District Court, Allen and Amazon agreed that the case should be dismissed without prejudice. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
INTERNATIONAL - Woody Allen has ended his $68 million lawsuit against Amazon.com Inc for backing out of a four-picture production and distribution agreement and refusing to distribute a film he had finished.
Allen and Amazon notified the federal court in Manhattan late on Friday night that the lawsuit was being voluntarily dismissed.
Lawyers for Allen and Amazon did not immediately respond on Saturday to requests for comment.
Allen had sued two Amazon units in February, claiming they could not abandon their distribution plans, including for his completed “A Rainy Day in New York,” because of a “baseless” allegation that he had molested his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992.
Amazon countered in court papers that Allen’s comments related to the #MeToo movement, which began in late 2017, ensured that the company could never receive the expected benefits from its contract with Allen, justifying its decision to end their relationship.
The filmmaker has long denied the allegation by Dylan Farrow, which was also made by her mother Mia Farrow, who appeared in a dozen Allen films and was his longtime partner. He has not been charged.
Allen has won four Oscars, including best director for 1977’s “Annie Hall,” which also won best picture.
But he has seen modest commercial returns for many films since breaking up with Mia Farrow, and some actors and actresses have expressed regret for appearing in his films after Dylan Farrow’s allegation gained renewed attention.
“Rainy Day” has been released outside the United States but not domestically.