Amazon reportedly wasted $40 million on a Robert De Niro show it killed after the Harvey Weinstein scandal
- Amazon scrapped an untitled, Robert De Niro-led series that would have cost $160 million.
- The company cancelled it following the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein, a producer on the show, and Amazon Studios boss Roy Price.
- The streaming service already spent $40 million on the series, according to a new report.
Amazon announced Friday that it had scrapped a reported $160 million series starring Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore, in the light of sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, who was a producer on the untitled series.
And according to a new Hollywood Reporter article on the downfall of Amazon Studios boss Roy Price - who picked up the expensive, David O. Russell-directed series - the streaming service already wasted $40 million in pre-production costs for the show.
Amazon killed the show one day after putting Price on an extended leave of absence after the sexual harassment allegations made against him by Isa Hackett, the executive producer of Amazon's "The Man in the High Castle." (Price resigned from his job on Tuesday.)
According to THR, Price helped Weinstein bring the David O. Russell show to fruition in its early stages, after Weinstein insisted that he could keep Russell, who he has previously worked with, and the pricey show on track.
Early work on the show was reportedly "chaotic," and now, in the aftermath of Price's resignation, Amazon will have to deal with sending $40 million down the drain for an ill-fated series.
The show's high price tag, including a requested $1 million per episode salary for De Niro, led other networks like HBO to reject an offer for it, according to Indiewire. The series was set for a two-season, 20-episode production with Amazon.
Following Amazon's decision to cancel the show on Friday, Russell, De Niro, and Moore gave the following combined statement: "We support Amazon's decision as in light of recent news and out of respect for all those affected we have decided together that it is best to not move forward with this show."