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This story first appeared in the Nov. 29 issue of The Hollywood Reporter Magazine.
A profanity-laced email that writer-director Joe Carnahan sent MGM‘s motion picture group president Jonathan Glickman in April began making the industry inbox rounds in mid-November.
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Carnahan sent it after he exited MGM’s upcoming remake of 1974’s Charles Bronson vigilante thriller Death Wish, which Carnahan wrote and was attached to direct. “You had a potential Oscar-winning film with maybe the best script in Hollywood but because you’re a coward and a dumb c— you now have an untested, second-time director and an arrogant, lazy, aging action star that will run that poor kid into the ground,” the missive read. (Gerardo Naranjo replaced Carnahan. The star is rumored to be Bruce Willis.)
The letter continued: “Good luck, asshole. You’re a spineless, gutless turd who doesn’t belong in the business. Enjoy your run as a ‘studio head,’ Glickman. It’s going to be a short one. F— you, Joe Carnahan.”
Turns out, according to Carnahan’s camp, this is just all in good fun. “Joe and Jon are old friends,” claims Carnahan’s rep, Simon Halls. “This is typical banter. Glickman’s got it framed in his office. And Joe is working on a project for MGM right now.” (It’s a TV project called Dogs of War.)
All’s well that ends not well, apparently.
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