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Woody Allen & Kate Winslet Head To Brooklyn For 'Wonder Wheel'
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 16, 2017
Modified Feb 16, 2017
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 16, 2017
Modified Feb 16, 2017
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As he has done every year since 1982, Woody Allen has been working on a new movie; this one is slated to be released later in 2017. And after dipping his toes back into the Hudson River with last year's Cafe Society, it seems his latest film will bring Allen back to his hometown borough.
According to Woody Allen Pages, the new movie is called Wonder Wheel, after the famous ferris wheel located in Coney Island. This marks the director's first return to the Boardwalk since 1977's Annie Hall. The Wonder Wheel happened to make a cameo in that movie as well.
The film, which reportedly takes place in the 1950s in and around the amusement park, stars Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake, Juno Temple, Jim Belushi, and at least a few former Sopranos cast members (including Paulie!). There are already release dates for France, Netherlands, Australia and more, but no definite release for America yet, although it's speculated it could come sometime in July 2017.
"I feel the Wonder Wheel is not just a piece of old New York, it’s New York itself," Steven Vourderis, who runs the Ferris wheel with his brother Dennis, told Brooklyn Paper. "It’s a modern marvel and who better to highlight it and Coney Island than Woody Allen? It’s terrific that he named it after the Wonder Wheel, it really is."
"Woody Allen movies are always a big event and the fact that it’s set here and named after the Wonder Wheel, I feel this will help further highlight the amusement park,” added Dick Zigun, the so-called 'Mayor of Coney Island.' "And I know this means much to the continuing legend of Coney Island. It’ll keep the lore alive."
Timberlake spoke to Variety about the movie back in the fall: "All day I’m thinking about what Woody was going to say to me on set, like, ‘Man, he’s gonna annihilate me.’ I think we all have a level of anxiety. I have it. I’ve had panic attacks."
Tagged
cinema
kate winslet
movies
wonder wheel
woody allen
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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