Amazon Studios returned fire on Woody Allen on Wednesday, saying in a court filing that it was “justified in terminating” movie deals with the filmmaker and pointing to his public comments about the #MeToo movement as proof. Mr. Allen, 83, sued Amazon in federal court on Feb. 7 for at least $68 million, claiming that the company’s Hollywood division had improperly backed out of commitments to make and release four movies. Amazon had severed ties with Mr. Allen in June, citing, among other things, a new focus on allegations that he sexually abused his daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992. Early Wednesday evening, Amazon electronically filed a motion in Federal District Court in Manhattan that seeks to weaken Mr. Allen’s lawsuit by having four of its eight claims thrown out. For instance, Amazon lawyers attacked his assertion that the company unjustly enriched itself by publicizing their partnership — around 2016, before things turned sour — to attract other writers and directors to its stable.

Source: New York Times April 04, 2019 02:31 UTC