Woody Allen considering retirement from directing
It’s been almost 60 years since Woody Allen made his feature-length directorial debut on 1966’s What’s Up, Tiger Lily? However, after allegations were made by his adopted step-daughter Dylan Farrow, Allen has struggled to get eyes on his most-recent projects, and is now considering retirement.
At one point, Allen was highly-regarded for crafting movies such as Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Hannah and Her Sisters, or setting an Academy Award record for winning the most trophies for ‘Best Original Screenplay’ after having his name read out onstage three times. Furthermore, his cumulative Oscars haul of four statues from 24 nominations underlines his contributions to cinema over the decades, but his name no longer holds the same weight.
The 21st century hasn’t been Allen’s most fruitful period from either a personal or professional perspective. While the occasional film has come along to offer a reminder of his talents, more often than not, any mention of his name is followed by the controversy he’s dragged in his wake.
Allen has become one of the industry’s most polarising figures, with many former collaborators having actively distanced themselves from him. Additionally, a combination of his diminished standing in cinema coupled with the constantly evolving face of filmmaking has found him once again contemplating the idea of retirement.
His most recent feature, Coup de Chance, was filmed in French with a cast comprised almost entirely of local performers, indicative of how Allen is currently perceived in Hollywood. Not for the first time, the writer and director has now hinted that there’s no guarantees he’ll end up stepping back behind the camera.
“I’m on the fence about it. I don’t want to go out to raise money. I find that a pain in the neck,” he said to Air Mail. “But if someone shows up and calls in and says we want to back the film, then I would seriously consider it. I would probably not have the willpower to say no, because I have so many ideas.”
Allen’s comments suggest he’s going to wait and see if anybody knocks on his door asking him to mount a new production as opposed to the other way around, with the director explaining that the shifting methods of distribution and marketing have also played a part in sapping his enthusiasm.
Whereas Annie Hall screened in cinemas “for a little bit over a year,” these days “distribution is two weeks in a cinema,” according to Allen.
“The whole business has changed, and not in a good way,” he continued. “All the romance of filmmaking has gone.”
These new comments aren’t the first time he’s motioned towards retirement and then not followed through, but aged 88 and with 50 movies under his belt, he will eventually need to stop.
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