Woody Allen's new film 'shelved' indefinitely by Amazon

Woody Allen's new film A Rainy Day in New York had been expected to premiere this year. Photo / AP

Woody Allen's new film A Rainy Day in New York has been left in limbo by its production company Amazon Studios.

The film, a romantic comedy starring Timothée Chalamet, Selena Gomez and Jude Law, had been expected to premiere this year. But now Amazon has said "no release date has ever been set for the film," in a statement given to Page Six.

The director had signed a five-movie deal in 2016 with Amazon Studios, which is contractually obliged to release the film. But the company reportedly struggled to convince cinemas to distribute the first film from that partnership, Wonder Wheel, which subsequently flopped at the box office.

The Oscar-winner has become an increasingly controversial figure in recent months. The rise of the #MeToo and Time's Up anti-sexual harassment campaigns sparked renewed interest in the assault allegations levelled at Allen by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow. Allen, 82, has always fervently denied the allegations.

Amazon's latest statement follows months of speculation about the film's future. "Rainy Day will either not come out or [will] get dumped by Amazon without any PR or theatrical release," a film industry source told the New York Post in January.

That same month, the New York Times reported that Amazon was in "serious conversations" about ending its relationship with the director.

Several cast members of A Rainy Day in New York have distanced themselves from the project. Chalamet said earlier this year: "I don't want to profit from my work on the film, and to that end, I am going to donate my entire salary to three charities: Time's Up, the LGBT Centre in New York, and Rainn [the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network]."

His co-star Rebecca Hall has also stated her intention to donate her salary to Time's Up, and said she "regrets" working with the director, whilst fellow cast member Griffin Newman is giving his earnings to Rainn, and has branded himself "a coward" for not quitting the film.

This article originally appeared on the Daily Telegraph.