Jessica Chastain’s villain role in Xavier Dolan’s upcoming film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan has been cut.
Dolan shared the news on social media, saying the decision was “editorial and narrative.”
“…it has nothing to do with performance and everything to do with character, and the compatibility of its storyline,” he said.
Chastain responded to news saying she had been informed in advance and that the situation was being handled with the upmost respect and love.
“I am always impressed with your true commitment to telling a story. To an artist in each moment, you move beyond past ideas and expectations. I love you dearly and look forward to our future collaborations in life and art,” she commented.
In the post, Dolan revealed that the original cut for the film was four hours and the ‘villain’ subplot, albeit funny and entertaining, didn’t feel like it belonged to the rest of the story.
The film in currently in post-production and the release date is still unclear.
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– Written by Amy Seaborn
