UPDATED 9/19, 11:20 p.m. ET: A rep for the writer/director stated on Monday that the retirement story was inaccurate.
“Woody Allen never said he was retiring, nor did he say he was writing another novel,” the new statement reads, per People. “He said he was thinking about not making films as making films that go straight or very quickly to streaming platforms is not so enjoyable for him, as he is a great lover of the cinema experience. Currently, he has no intention of retiring and is very excited to be in Paris shooting his new movie Wasp 22, which will be the 50th.”
See original story below.
Woody Allen will soon be departing from the film world.
NBC News reports that the 86-year-old filmmaker announced that he will retire after his 50th film. He told the Spanish newspaper, La Vanguardia that instead, he will focus on writing.
Allen has been spending more time working in Europe since his career in the U.S. has taken a dive, following the release of HBO’s 2021 documentary miniseries, Allen v. Farrow, where Allen was accused of abusing daughter Dylan Farrow.
Allen will begin shooting his final film in Paris soon, which will only be in French. He compared it to his 2005 film Match Point, saying his forthcoming project is “exciting, dramatic and also very sinister.” He’s been working on his writing too, having recently published Zero Gravity, his fifth collection of humorous work. In 2020, his film Rifkin’s Festival, which he shot in San Sebastian, Spain, opened the San Sebastian Film Festival. He premiered Melinda & Melinda at the same festival in 2004 and Vicky Cristina Barcelona in ’08.
Allen has had a lot of support from Spain over the years. Zero Gravity will be published on Sept. 27 by Spain-based Alianza publishing house, and Spanish media company Mediapro supported Rifkin’s Festival, as well as Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Allen had a few projects shelved following the abuse allegations, including Amazon’s A Rainy Day in New York—which led to a $68 million lawsuit that was eventually settled out of court. Hachette also backed out of publishing his memoir, Apropos of Nothing, though Arcade later published it, as well as Zero Gravity in the U.S.
