Woody Allen will 'dedicate time to writing' after retirement

Veteran director Woody Allen has announced his retirement from filmmaking, reports Variety. The filmmaker intends to  “dedicate more time to writing during his twilight years”.

The 86-year-old filmmaker has discussed stepping back from the movie business before. 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 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 also added that his next project will be a novel.

Currently, Allen has been shooting more often in Europe as his support in the U.S. plunged given the abuse accusations against him by his daughter Dylan Farrow. Farrow accused that Allen had sexually assaulted her when she was 7 years old.

Allen is working on production of his 50th and final feature in the coming fall and has told a Spanish newspaper he plans for this to be his last one. The film is set in Paris and will be shot entirely in French in a couple of weeks.