Woody Allen and Scarlett Johanson go way back collaborating on three films together- Match Point, Scoop, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Allen is by far a wonderful filmmaker, bringing subtle stories about relationships to the table. They are, mostly, critically commendable. Allen’s career spans more than six decades where he received numerous accolades, including four Academy Award wins.
Johansson’s first collaboration with Allen was the 2005 psychological thriller, Match Point. The movie also stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox, and Penelope Wilton. A year later in 2006, Johansson appeared in Allen’s romantic crime comedy Scoop. And later in 2008, she played Cristina in the romantic comedy, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Besides their collaboration, Allen and Johansson also shared a remarkable friendship.
Woody Allen Wanted Scarlett Johansson to be Like Meryl Streep
In his controversial 2020 memoir, Apropos of Nothing, the Midnight in Paris director revealed that the sole reason to hire Scarlett Johansson was that she was “sexually radioactive”. The director wrote,
“She was only 19 when she did Match Point, but it was all there: an exciting actress, a natural movie star, real intelligence, quick and funny, and when you meet her, you have to fight your way through the pheromones. Not only was she gifted and beautiful, but sexually she was radioactive.”
It is undeniably true that Woody Allen has helped shape Johansson’s career as an actor. Allen, with the reputation of making acclaimed movies, contributed to the actor’s resume to a great extent. The director also revealed that he’d like to collaborate with the actor again, “before I die or senility sets in and I’m drooling, but not over her”.
It appears that Allen cares for the actor’s well-being. Once he revealed that he wanted her to be like Meryl Streep. Allen said,
“She can do anything, but she has to make the right choices of films, and she’s got to not go the Page Six party route. I don’t want to read about her in the paper with this boyfriend or that boyfriend, or in rehab or taking pills.”
“I don’t think she’s always made great choices. She has to take her acting seriously… the way someone like Meryl Streep did it.”
For now, the director is surrounded by controversies and it is highly unlikely to see another collaboration.
Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Woody Allen
As per reports, Allen’s former partner Mia Farrow alleged that the director molested their child, Dylan Farrow. Amidst the #MeToo movement, the allegation stirred again and several studios blacklisted the director, including Amazon. Allen has denied all the allegations and continued working, but it was never like before. Further, many actors in the industry who appeared in his films including Michael Caine, Timothée Chalamet, and Greta Gerwig, have publicly expressed their regret working with the director. However, Johansson said that she believed him. “I love Woody,” she said. “I believe him, and I would work with him anytime,” the Black Widow star told The Hollywood Reporter.
“I see Woody whenever I can, and I have had a lot of conversations with him about it. I have been very direct with him, and he’s very direct with me. He maintains his innocence, and I believe him.”
“It’s hard because it’s a time where people are very fired up, and understandably. Things needed to be stirred up, and so people have a lot of passion and a lot of strong feelings and are angry, and rightfully so. It’s an intense time.”
Allen’s latest and 50th film Coup De Chance, per Deadline, entered European Film Market (EFM) with WestEnd Films.
Source: Page Six
