Tel-Chai Nation

And the biggest problem here for its studio, Disney, is that they may have already filmed more than enough footage of the Agatha Christie adaptation he appears in, which'll make it extremely expensive to replace him and refilm it. As reported here:

We’re specifically talking about Kenneth Branagh’s mystery ensemble Death on the Nile starring Armie Hammer, who has been besieged in an alleged sex scandal. The 20th Century Studios production, which reportedly cost $90M and was greenlighted by the previous Fox administration before the Disney merger, has changed release dates several times due to the pandemic: From Oct. 23 to Dec. 18 last year to being unset and then finally dated for Sept. 17. Well, now the movie that also stars Gal Gadot, Tom Bateman, Annette Bening and more won’t open until Feb. 11, 2022.

I’m told the release date has nothing to do with Hammer, who is under investigation by the LAPD on rape claims that could put The Social Network actor in jail for eight years if tried and found guilty. That said, the new date provides Disney with close to a year in regard to rethinking any form of its marketing campaign, that is if the movie sticks to its theatrical date. News of the LAPD’s probe of Hammer emerged Thursday after a Gloria Allred-led press conference in which Hammer’s accuser said of an alleged April 2017 incident: “He abused me mentally, emotionally and sexually…I thought that he was going to kill me.”

[...] While Hammer hasn’t been charged, the allegations against him create a headache for Disney in releasing a feature that was bound to have some awards potential and possibly be a box office sleeper. [...]

Even if the Corona crisis is largely gone by the time they do release it, this is bound to make things difficult. Definitely if the allegations are true. In any case, I just can't care enough to bother about a production like this, mainly because it was already adapted in the late 70s, shortly after Christie's passing in 1976. Hammer's already taken quite a downfall in the past few weeks, losing roles and showbiz agency representatives (he also made quite a few left-leaning statements in the past year or so). If the new take on Death on the Nile is ever released, chances are the shadow of this scandal will still loom over it, possibly jeopardizing whatever fortunes the filmmakers might've hoped for. It may not be the most expensive production in Hollywood these days, but that doesn't guarantee it'll make its money back at ease. It probably won't win many awards easily either, and even then, the Oscars long lost whatever edge they once had.

Labels: misogyny, Moonbattery, sexual violence, showbiz, United States