14 DAY TRIAL // Woody Allen is shooting a new movie in Los Angeles and New York, known solely as The Untitled Woody Allen Project. Not much is known about it as of now, but this is one thing that is well documented in the press: Bruce Willis was one of the first actors to be cast in it and he was fired this week.
Even strangely, he dropped out of the project, citing a scheduling conflict with an upcoming Broadway play, after he spent one day on set. This lends a lot of credence to reports that Allen himself fired him for whatever reason. Now, Allen has his replacement.
Steve Carell is in, Bruce Willis is definitely out
For all those Bruce Willis fans hoping that his reported exit from the project was just a rumor, we have bad news: Deadline confirms that Steve Carell will be taking over from Bruce Willis.
It only took Allen 4 days to find a replacement, during which time production continued around the character. This means that Willis’ departure, as sudden as it was, will not impact the release schedule in any way.
Carell starred in Allen’s 2004 film “Melinda and Melinda,” so the 2 have a working history that probably proved to be to Allen’s advantage when he approached the actor on such a short notice.
“[Carell] now joins a cast that includes Blake Lively, Parker Posey, Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeannie Berlin, Corey Stoll, Ken Stott, Anna Camp, Stephen Kunken, Sari Lennick and Paul Schneider,” Deadline says.
An unfortunate pattern for Bruce Willis
It sounds very, very strange for an actor to cite a scheduling conflict one day after he starts work, when both commitments he now claims are clashing had been on his agenda for months. Rumor on Twitter has it that Willis was actually fired for being very unprofessional, which, if true, would be a crying shame.
For starters, he’s a versatile actor who still has a lot to give, even though he seems to have spent the last few years jumping from paycheck to paycheck, which means making movies that are, at best, forgettable.
Starring in an Allen pic would have done his reputation a world of good and would have provided his loyal fans with something new, a role that would have been like a breath of fresh air.
As it happens, this is actually the third project in as many years that Willis leaves in mysterious conditions, amid reports that he’s no longer a pro. First, there was the 2013 “Expendables 3,” which saw him replaced at the last minute with Harrison Ford and earned him harsh criticism on Twitter from Sylvester Stallone, who called him “greedy and lazy.”
Then, earlier this year, Willis was attached to “Wake” as a “sociopath with no fear.” In April, production came to a halt over financial issues because “a certain producer would not stand down from the picture.” Next thing, Willis cited a scheduling conflict and dropped out.
.@Roberts13Chris He got fired so don't hold your breath...
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) August 25, 2015
@TheInSneider Yep. Fired. A friend is on the film. Bruce couldn't remember a line. Cue cards were no help. Cast were losing their minds.
— Tom O'Leary (@TomOLeary4) August 25, 2015