Woody Allen’s moviemaking legend is secure, but his history of young lovers dogs him. Critics are barking over Elle Fanning, 19, and Selena Gomez, 25, joining his next film.
“For some, the news triggered familiar feelings of discomfort as more young Hollywood actresses sign on to work with a man accused of sexually abusing his adopted daughter,” HuffPost said. “Fanning and Gomez join Blake Lively, Miley Cyrus, Kristen Stewart and Emma Stone in choosing to work with Allen … despite the disturbing allegations lodged against him.”
Priscilla Frank adds: “It’s also understandable why ambitious actors would be eager to collaborate with a four-time Oscar-winning cinema icon. The problem, for many, extends beyond individuals like Gomez and Fanning; it’s rooted in a cultural landscape that continues to award and idolize Allen, making the advantages of working with him outweigh the drawbacks every time.”
Variety, which broke the news on Fanning and Gomez, said Allen’s next feature for Amazon Studios (with no title divulged) follows his pattern of “notoriously secretive” projects.
“True to form, this project isn’t even being announced with a logline, so it’s unclear who these three twenty-something stars will play.” (Timothée Chalamet, 21, is in it, too.)
Variety said: “Chalamet is earning raves and Oscar buzz for his star turn in ‘Call My By Your Name,’ which hits theaters next fall. Fanning recently had a key supporting role in ‘The Beguiled’ and starred in Nicolas Wind Refn’s horror film ‘The Neon Demon.’ Gomez is a former Disney Channel star who also appeared in ‘Spring Breakers’ — a film that nuked her squeaky clean image.”