Woody Allen‘s latest film, Rifkin’s Festival, has opened to the lowest ticket sales of Allen’s decades-long career.
86-year-old Allen has been widely shunned by the public in recent years. In 2014, his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow penned an open letter for the New York Times, publicly accusing Allen of sexually molesting her when she was a child. Allen has denied all allegations.
Rifkin’s Festival received a limited theatre release to 26 cinemas across the United States and pulled in only USD$24,000, according to The Wrap.
One cinema chain that screened the film over the weekend reported that the film grossed the most at their Los Angeles location… and still only made USD$2,300.
Meanwhile, in New York City, Allen’s hometown, the Quad Cinema reported that the film only made USD$1,600.
This is Allen’s 49th film, and the decline in ticket sales from his last film, 2017’s Kate Winslet-led Wonder Wheel, has been steep.
Wonder Wheel opened to only five cinemas over a three-day weekend and earned USD$125,000.
Since then, and in the wake of the #MeToo movement, there has been renewed scrutiny around Woody Allen regarding the Dylan Farrow accusations, as well as his relationship to his now-wife, Soon-Yi Previn. Previn is the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, Allen’s ex-partner (and Dylan Farrow’s mother), and musician André Previn.
Rifkin’s Festival is a comedy that stars Gina Gershon and Wallace Shawn, who have been heavily criticised for continuing to work with Allen.
Late last year, Shawn wrote a blog published on The Wrap, defending his decision to keep working with the director.
In the lengthy letter, Shawn said although “Dylan Farrow clearly believes what she’s saying… the narrative she presented left a lot of questions unanswered”, adding that her allegations “didn’t square with the sense [he] had of Woody Allen”.
He went on to say that no one knows the truth about what happened and that he’s “been troubled by the speed with which some of [his] colleagues in the acting fraternity have distanced themselves from Woody”.
Speaking to Fox News, Shawn was more blunt, saying: “The story that she tells, I don’t think it happened. So I do think it’s terrible that actors have turned their backs on Woody and denounced him.
Gerson, meanwhile, claimed ignorance, saying that she “didn’t even see the story”.
“I knew once I worked with him, I would end up doing a bigger part just because I’ve admired him and respected him,” she said. “And he’s been such an inspiration, ever since I was younger and started acting.”
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