Armie Hammer Is Causing A Serious Problem For Disney
Armie Hammer still has a movie coming out that he hasn't been canceled from and this film is causing Disney significant issues.
This article is more than 2 years old
Armie Hammer is on his way to being fully canceled but just because studios have removed the actor from upcoming movies doesn’t mean he isn’t still causing issues in other places. That’s because Disney might have a major problem with one of their upcoming films. Prior to Hammer landing himself in all kinds of terrible headlines, Disney had already put one of his movies in the can. And now, according to Variety, they don’t know what to do with the film. They keep kicking the can down the road on its release, but that might not cure the considerable amount of bad press they’ll receive when it finally hits screens.
The movie in question is Death on the Nile and features an ensemble cast in what amounts to a sequel to Murder on the Orient Express. Because Covid-19 and pandemic-related delays are nothing new these days, release dates for films are in a constant state of flux. Mostly they are getting pushed back. And that’s what Disney did with this film, announcing a February 2022 theater date. But part of this is likely related to Armie Hammer having a major role in the movie and the studio wanting to see if his bad press dust can settle before they actually get the film in front of viewers.
Death on the Nile has been through all manners of production hell, Armie Hammer and his most recent issues aside.The original release date was supposed to be December 20, 2019 which would have simultaneously avoided the Covid-19 pandemic AND the negative press for Hammer. But it couldn’t happen because the film required extensive reshoots even at the time. It meant a delay in release and then theaters basically closed, pushing the timeline even further back.
Now Disney is left with an uncomfortable decision with what to do about the film. They are already close to $100 million in the hole on the budget and reshooting all scenes with Armie Hammer would require a considerable investment, one they might not be willing to stomach if they already weren’t totally pleased with the film. And leaving him in the movie causes its own set of headaches. Other films like Shotgun Wedding and The Offer got ahead of this mess by removing him from upcoming filming.
That’s because the list of issues for Armie Hammer is almost too long to name at this point. You have the part where he’s being accused of being a cannibal thanks to some Twitter and social media rumors that made the rounds a few months ago. Those probably aren’t totally true (right?) but he has shown up online before liking some questionable content on Twitter. Much more disturbing are the recent allegations from a woman who claims Hammer sexually assaulted her. That is currently under investigation from the Los Angeles Police Department.
Time will tell what happens with Death on the Nile which also features Kenneth Branaugh, Annette Benning, Russell Brand, and Gal Gadot among many others. My guess is that Disney finds a way to get Armie Hammer out of the film, but they could also just hope his name is cleared well before release.
