After decades in show business, Woody Allen says his next film, Wasp 22, will be his last. Allen, now 86 years old, is currently in pre-production on Wasp 22 with plans to shoot the movie in Paris in the fall. The announcement was made in the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia (via Deadline) with Allen stating his follow-up project after this movie will be a novel, as he wants to spend more time writing his twilight years.
“My idea, in principle, is not to make more movies and focus on writing," Allen said.
It wasn't so long ago when Allen teased his retirement in an interview with Alec Baldwin on Instagram Live. He noted that he was planning to move to Paris in September to work on Wasp 22, a French-language thriller that also marks his 50th feature. Allen also said that he doesn't get the same enjoyment from filmmaking as he did decades ago, and suggested he might call it quits after this next project.
“I don’t get the same fun doing a movie and putting it in a theater. It was a nice feeling to know that 500 people were seeing it once," Allen explained. "I don’t know how I feel about making movies. I’m going to make another one and I’ll see how it feels.”
Wasp 22 will feature an all-French cast and has been described by Allen as "in the same vein as Match Point, a sort of poisonous romantic thriller."
Woody Allen Was Blacklisted in the U.S.
Perhaps one reason filmmaking isn't quite as fun anymore for Allen is that controversy associated with the director has heavily affected his career stateside. Allegations made by former partner Mia Farrow that he'd sexually assaulted their daughter had Allen blacklisted by many producers and studios, and when they resurfaced in recent years, Amazon Studios withdrew an $80 million distribution deal with Allen in 2019. He later sued for $68 million, citing breach of contract, with the two parties ultimately settling for an undisclosed amount.
Allen is very accomplished as a filmmaker with a record 16 Oscar nominations for Best Screenplay. He has also won four Oscars, with one Best Director win for Annie Hall and an additional three Best Screenplay wins for Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Midnight in Paris. Some of his other many, many films include Broadway Danny Rose, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Radio Days, Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Blue Jasmine.
There's no word yet on release information for Wasp 22.