BEVERLY HILLS, CA – FEBRUARY 26: Actor Will Arnett attends the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted … [+]
Will Arnett will be replacing Armie Hammer in Taika Waititi’s new film, Next Goal Wins. Deadline broke the news that the controversial actor will be replaced in the upcoming Searchlight Pictures comedy.
Searchlight Pictures was not available for comment. Sources have suggested that the recasting may have to do with Hammer’s availability for re-shoots, however controversy around The Lone Ranger star may have also contributed.
Hammer was accused in early 2021 by multiple women of sexual assault and abuse. While Hammer publicly denied the allegations, The Los Angeles police department launched an investigation into The Social Network actor. The LAPD named Hammer as a suspect in Feburary. Since the allegations arose, Hammer has been dropped by WME and has excited multiple projects including the anticipated Godfather series on Paramount+ and the Broadway play, The Minutes. Hammer is still set to appear in the upcoming film The Death on the Nile.
Arnett joins Elizabeth Moss, David Fane, Beulah Koale, Rhys Darby, Lehi Falepapalangi, Semu Filipo, Uli Latukefu, Kaimana, Chris Alosio and Angus Sampson in the upcoming film. The film is based on the 2014 documentary of the same name which follows the national team of American Samoa during a come from behind season. Arnett is set to take over Hammer’s role as an executive at the Football Federation American Samoa.
Arnett is maybe best known for his roles on shows like Bojack Horseman and Arrested Developement as well as voice acting roles in films such as Lego Batman and Ratatouille. This year he also starred in Muppets Haunted Mansion for Disney Plus and hosts the show Lego Masters.
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Replacing problematic or controversial cast members during re-shoots came into the conversation in 2017 where Kevin Spacey was replaced in the film All the Money in the World with Christopher Plummer who went on to be nominated for a Golden Globe for the role. Other films like The Secret Life of Pets 2, Wonder Park, The Hate U Give, and Army of the Dead have also quietly re-shot roles to replace actors had become controversial.
