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Oliver Stone claims ‘cancel culture’ would see him attacked if classic films came out today

Director of films including ‘Wall Street’ and ‘Natural Born Killers’ says you have to be ‘rude and bad’ to make a movie

Roisin O'Connor
Friday 31 July 2020 09:29 BST
(Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

Director Oliver Stone has lashed out at “cancel culture“ and said he believes he would be “attacked” if his films were released in today’s climate.

During an interview on Sirius XM, the filmmaker claimed he would be cast out of Hollywood over movies such as Platoon, Natural Born Killers, and Wall Street.

“I’m really out of touch. I can tell you that if I made any of my films, I don’t think I’d last. I’d be vilified. I’d be attacked. Shamed. Whatever you want to call that … culture, cancel f***ing culture,” he said.

“I mean, it’s just impossible. I would have had to step on so many sensitivities,” he continued. ”You have to have some freedom to make a movie, unfortunately.

“You have to be rude. You can be bad. And you’re going to have do to these things like step on toes. Holy cow. Do you think I could have made any one of those films?”

In 2017, former Playboy model Carrie Stevens and actors Patricia Arquette and Melissa Gilbert accused Stone of sexual misconduct.

Stone did not respond to Stevens and Arquette’s claims, but issued a comment to Deadline regarding Gilbert’s accusations of a “humiliating and horrid” audition process for 1991’s The Doors.

“We auditioned dozens of actors for roles in The Doors and it was made clear from the outset that our film was going to be a raunchy, no-holds-barred rock ‘n’ roll movie,” Stone said in a statement.

“Anyone auditioning was told the scenes would be rehearsed and performed from a script, with my casting director, Risa Bramon Garcia, present throughout the process to ensure a safe environment for all actors who auditioned.”

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“I would have had to step on so many sensitivities,” Stone continued on SiriusXM, of contemporary culture.

“You have to have some freedom to make a movie, unfortunately. You have to be rude. You can be bad. And you’re going to have to do these things like step on toes. Holy cow. Do you think I could have made any one of those films?”

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