'Death on the Nile': Armie Hammer left out from new poster after backlash over rape claims
Actor Armie Hammer has been accused of sexual abuse, rape, and cannibalism, among other allegations since January 2021. After facing backlash for featuring Hammer in the group posters and the trailer of the mystery-thriller film 'Death on the Nile', the studio chose to exclude him from the individual promotional posters released on Tuesday, January 11.
'Death on the Nile' is a mystery-thriller film based on the novel by English author Agatha Christie. The abuse allegations against Hammer came to light after the filming was completed. The trailer for the film, which was released in December 2021, was edited in such a way that it only included glimpses of Hammer. But the Internet slammed the trailer for including not just Hammer, but also Letitia Wright, who created a controversy because of her anti-vax statements.
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In January 2021, multiple women accused Hammer of sexual abuse, cannibalism, and non-consensual BDSM. Screenshots of the texts and messages were posted online as proof, sparking a lot of debate and discussion. Hammer denied the allegations and called the Instagram messages fake, claiming that it was an online attack. Hammer's attorney said in a statement, "These assertions about Mr Hammer are patently untrue. Any interactions with this person, or any partner of his, were completely consensual in that they were fully discussed, agreed upon, and mutually participatory." Post the allegations, Hammer was not only dropped by his talent agency but also removed from several films.
Variety reported, "Disney had the option to reshoot parts of the film or recast Hammer’s role, which would have been a rare though not unprecedented move. But Disney never strongly considered those choices because it would have cost tens of millions of dollars on top of production quagmires. Extensive digital editing would have essentially been impossible because Hammer is one of the male leads, and re-assembling the A-list ensemble would have been nightmarish given Covid-19 restrictions and busy schedules."
Individual promotional posters featuring the rest of the cast were released, but Hammer was excluded from the series after people questioned the studio for including him in the formerly released group posters.
All aboard!🛳 In one month, #DeathOnTheNile arrives exclusively in theaters February 11. (2/4) pic.twitter.com/UQoi0247Sw
— 20th Century Studios (@20thcentury) January 11, 2022
All aboard!🛳 In one month, #DeathOnTheNile arrives exclusively in theaters February 11. (4/4) pic.twitter.com/NKs9YqgoK9
— 20th Century Studios (@20thcentury) January 11, 2022
Variety also predicted that Hammer's involvement in the film could cause significant harm to the business of the mystery thriller. They noted that it could be a "PR nightmare waiting to happen" considering the multiple allegations against Hammer.
The release of 'Death on the Nile' has been delayed multiple times due to the Covid pandemic. The film is set to release in theaters on February 11, 2022.