No editorializing. The LATimes story speaks for itself.
Scott Rudin is walking away from “The Reader.” The Oscar winning producer, who has been embroiled for weeks in a nasty squabble with Harvey Weinstein over the release date of the film, has decided to quit the project and take his name off the film. The two men have had a very contentious public feud over Weinstein’s insistence that the film be released this year for Oscar consideration. Rudin and the film’s director, Stephen Daldry, had insisted they needed more time to finish the picture. After intense negotiations, they eventually agreed late last month that, in return for Weinstein putting up more money for round-the-clock editing, scoring sessions and optical work, Daldry would finish the film in time for a Dec. 12th release.
But that plan has gone awry.
…Rudin decided to separate himself from the project. Daldry remains contractually obligated to complete the film, though it’s uncertain of how he will complete the film without Rudin, a longtime collaborator with both Daldry and David Hare, who were the creative team on “The Hours.”
Beyond the basic facts, paragraph two of Goldstein’s article seems speculative, so we’ll hold off repeating his assumptions. Will The Reader without Rudin be a ship without a rudder? Stay tuned. (Thanks to Paul Outlaw for the tip.)