Apple abruptly cancelled the world premiere of its film The Banker at the AFI Festival in Hollywood on Wednesday amid reports of sexual abuse allegations against the son of the film’s subject.
The Banker is based on the true-life story of two black entrepreneurs who amassed a fortune by pretending their company was run by a white man, and features top-names including Samuel L Jackson and the Marvel star Anthony Mackie.
The film was set to premiere on Thursday night as the closing film for the festival.
In a statement, Apple 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 film-makers, 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.”
The Hollywood Reporter later reported that the decision stemmed from sexual abuse allegations levied against Bernard Garrett Jr, who is the son of the subject of The Banker, and also a producer of the film. Garrett Jr’s half-sisters reportedly raised the allegations with Apple recently, while also criticizing the film for factual inaccuracies.
The news throws into question the future of a film that was supposed to be a major debut for Apple. The Banker was set to be the tech company’s first film release on its new streaming platform, Apple TV+.
After launching Apple TV+ this month, insiders theorized that Apple hoped the film would become a critical darling and a possible Oscar contender, competing with other streaming platforms’ growing film presence. (Roma, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, was a hit for Netflix last year, receiving an Oscar best picture nomination.)
AFI Festival will now screen Netflix’s Marriage Story, which stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, during The Banker’s time slot.
• This article was amended on 30 December 2019 because an earlier version misnamed Apple’s new streaming platform, Apple TV+, as Apple+. This has been corrected.
