For the past few years, Joel Silver has kept a relatively low profile, his most recent credit on the little-seen “SuperFly” remake of 2018. Still, the hard-charging producer behind some of the biggest hits of the ’80s and ’90s was attempting to mount a comeback. And his prospects looked promising with a series of feature film and TV projects at Amazon that were based on Donald E. Westlake’s Parker noir crime novels.
Alas, the Silver comeback has hit a snag. Sources say Amazon has fired the polarizing Hollywood figure from at least two films — one starring Mark Wahlberg, the other Jake Gyllenhaal — for being verbally abusive to two female executives. But sources close to Silver say Amazon is retaliating against the producer after he pushed back on the studio’s calls to use artificial intelligence to finish a movie during the strike. Amid the chaos, Silver’s longtime friend Robert Downey Jr. has quietly exited one of the projects.
What no one is disputing is that Silver has been relieved of his producing duties on a Gyllenhaal-led remake of the 1989 action film “Road House” that was nearly complete when the SAG-AFTRA strike began in July. Silver produced the original “Road House” for United Artists. He is also no longer producing “Play Dirty,” a Wahlberg vehicle that will mark the first project adapted from the series of popular Parker crime books that were written under the pseudonym Richard Stark. An Amazon source says Silver “fulfilled his obligations on ‘Road House’ and he will not be working on ‘Play Dirty.'” Silver’s longtime associate, private investigator Anthony Pellicano, says, “The parting of the ways is amicable. He was not fired. There were just disagreements with creative concerns.”
Popular on Variety
Silver is repped by attorney Bryan Freedman, who said, “As Amazon readily admits, Joel Silver completed all of this services on Road House and was not relieved of his duties, terminated or fired from his services on Road House. He finished the film and did an excellent job. With respect to ‘Play Dirty,’ as agreed to by Amazon, Joel was in no way terminated with or for cause on that picture. None of this is in dispute. To say he was fired is irresponsible and defamatory.”
Sources say Silver berated several staffers including Amazon Studios and MGM marketing head Sue Kroll and Amazon film head Courtenay Valenti over differing visions for his films. Both executives have worked with the producer for decades, dating back to when they were top executives at Warner Bros. and Silver was a major force at the studio. In recent months, Silver was allegedly incensed over the release strategy of “Road House,” a reboot of an action film that helped solidify Patrick Swayze’s star power back in the late ’80s. The Doug Liman-helmed film, which sees Gyllenhaal playing a former UFC fighter who winds up working security in a Florida dive bar, will likely be released in early 2024 as a streaming title under Amazon’s MGM label. Silver, who wanted a theatrical release, is expected to still receive a producing credit because the film is complete, but he will not be involved in any marketing or distribution conversations going forward. (An insider says “Road House” is one of the highest-testing films for Liman, the director behind the “Bourne” series opener.)
Silver sources push back on the verbal abuse claims and instead say the producer was penalized for raising concerns about Amazon wanting to use AI to finish “Road House” production during the strike. (AI became a significant sticking point in negotiations between actors and the studios before the two sides came to terms on an agreement on Nov. 9.) Amazon strongly denies that it wanted to use AI. A representative for Liman declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the film “Play Dirty” was poised to reunite Silver with his frequent collaborators Downey Jr. and screenwriter and director Shane Black. Last year, Downey Jr. had signed on to play the ruthless thief Parker, a character portrayed over the years by a host of A-list actors including Jason Statham (2013’s “Parker”), Mel Gibson (1999 “Payback”), Robert Duvall (1973’s “The Outfit”) and Lee Marvin (1967’s “Point Blank”). Black, who last worked with Silver on the 2016 Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling buddy film “The Nice Guys” for Warners, co-wrote the “Play Dirty” screenplay. He was also on board to direct. But sources say Downey Jr. quietly dropped out and was replaced by Wahlberg. It is unclear if Downey Jr.’s recent exit was related to Silver being booted. The actor has a longstanding relationship with the producer, while his wife, Susan Downey, worked for Silver before forming a producing company with her husband.
Though Silver is one of the most successful producers of his generation, with more than 60 films to his credit including the “Lethal Weapon” and “Die Hard” franchises as well as the long-running “Tales From the Crypt” TV series, he was known as a volatile figure. In recent years, Hollywood has grown increasingly intolerant of behavior once considered the norm among producers. In 2021, Scott Rudin stopped working following an exposé in The Hollywood Reporter on his bullying of staff.
