It’s incredibly rare for a film festival to swap out its closing night film, but this week, the Los Angeles-based AFI Fest is doing just that.
The Banker, Apple’s first major film release, was scheduled to have its world premiere at the festival on Thursday. But amid sexual assault allegations, it has now been replaced by Marriage Story , which has already been released in theatres and was produced by Netflix, Apple’s biggest competitor.
The film stars Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson and Nicholas Hoult, and follows the real-life story of businessmen Joe Morris (Jackson) and Bernard Garrett, Sr (Mackie). In the early 1960s, the pair made a name for themselves and other African-American business owners by hiring a working-class white man (Hoult) to be the face of their work in the face of the racist establishment, as they posed as a janitor and chauffeur.
The film was set to hit theatres on December 6, and would then be available on Apple+ in early 2020. But that entire timeline is now on hold, according to Deadline , as abuse allegations have been made against Barnard Garrett, Jr., the son of the real-life Garrett, Sr., by his two half-sisters. One of them, Cynthia Garrett, claims Garrett, Jr. sexually abused the pair over several years during the early 1970s, when they all lived together as a family.
Cynthia made Apple aware of her claims recently through a lawyer. She also addressed the abuse in her 2016 book Prodigal Daughter: A Journey Home to Identity , and an upcoming book, set to be published in 2020.
It’s a potentially major drawback for Apple’s new streaming service, which had foreseen the film as a potential Oscar contender.
In a statement to Deadline , the network said, “We purchased The Banker earlier this year as we were moved by the film’s entertaining and educational story about social change and financial literacy. Last week, some concerns surrounding the film were brought to our attention. We, along with the filmmakers, need some time to look into these matters and determine the best next steps. In light of this, we are no longer premiering The Banker at AFI Fest.”
Garrett, Jr. was scheduled to be a part of The Banker ’s promotional efforts alongside its stars, but has since been pulled from all appearances.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
