After the April 17 announcement that he would “step back from active participation†in his current theater productions, allegedly abusive producer Scott Rudin is now also “stepping back†from his current film projects, per Variety. Rudin’s current movies include Netflix’s The Woman in the Window and A24’s The Humans, among other projects, mostly for A24. Similar to his Broadway announcement, Rudin’s latest statement did not specify exactly how he will “step back†from the work. The EGOT-winning producer said he would “take the time to work on personal issues I should have long ago,†after an April 7 Hollywood Reporter cover story detailed alleged abuse toward his staff, including reportedly smashing a computer monitor on an assistant’s hand in 2012 and sending them to the emergency room, and throwing a baked potato at another in 2018.
Rudin said he announced his break from Broadway first, in a statement to the Washington Post, because of the attention on reopening. “It’s clear to me I should take the same path in film and streaming,†he now told Variety. “I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior has caused, and I take this step with a commitment to grow and change.†Rudin faced pressure from the theater community after Karen Olivo’s April 14 announcement that she would not return to Moulin Rouge! over an “unacceptable†lack of criticism toward Rudin, widely seen as the most powerful play producer on Broadway. (Rudin did not produce Moulin Rouge!) Sutton Foster, set to star in Rudin’s upcoming revival of The Music Man alongside Hugh Jackman, said on April 18 that Rudin’s “stepping back†was “the only positive outcome†from the situation. Yet as Variety noted, it’s still unclear whether Rudin’s name will be on the film and theater productions he is stepping back from, and whether he will continue to profit from them.