Woody Allen has announced that he will be retiring from filmmaking after the release of his next film.
The 86-year-old filmmaker is set to begin production on his final feature in the coming fall and has told a Spanish newspaper he plans for this to be his last one.
In an interview with La Vanguardia ahead of Wasp 22, to be filmed in Europe, Allen said: “My idea, in principle, is not to make more movies and focus on writing.”
He added that his next project will be a novel.
This isn’t the first time Allen has discussed stepping back from the movie business. In a conversation with Alec Baldwin live-streamed on Instagram in June, Allen said he plans to direct “one or two more” films, but also said “the thrill is gone” because of the decline of the theatrical experience.
In his long career, Allen has received a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations for Best Screenplay. He has won four Academy Awards, including one for Best Director for Annie Hall (1977). Despite his success, he has always been noted for shunning award ceremonies.
In recent years, he has been blacklisted for many following allegations made by his former partner Mia Farrow that he molested their child. Allen has always denied the allegations and continued to work.
His most recent film was Rifkin’s Festival, which grossed just $2.3 million, reaching the U.S. in a limited release. MPI Media Group handled the film, stepping in for Amazon Studios, which pulled its $80 million distribution deal with Allen in 2019.
Earlier this year, Allen described the forthcoming Wasp 22 as “a sort of poisonous romantic thriller” and compared the flick to his 2005’s caper Match Point. The film is set to shoot in Paris with an all-French cast.
Zac Ntim contributed to this report.