Variety has learned exclusively that Armie Hammer has been dropped from another film, the drama Billion Dollar Spy, in the aftermath of sexual assault allegations and ongoing online controversy on social media. Billion Dollar Spy was the last remaining film attached to Hammer.
Hammer’s career has been rapidly declining after multiple women’s allegations appeared on social media earlier this year. Recently, Hammer’s former partner came forward with a rape allegation dating back to 2017, prompting the LAPD to launch an investigation. The sexual assault case is ongoing with Hammer as a suspect.
Hammer’s counsel refuted the rape charge finding it “outrageous”. The actor has insisted that all of his interactions with intimate partners have been consensual.
In late 2020, Hammer was cast in the film Billion Dollar Spy directed by Amma Asante (Where Hands Touch) and was expected to play Brad Reid, a recent arrival at the CIA’s Moscow station who is confronted by Soviet engineer Adolf Tolkachev (Mikkelsen). Ignoring his superior’s advice that Tolkachev is a simple KGB dangle, Reid establishes a relationship and a one-of-a-kind friendship with the Russian. Reid’s confidence in Tolkachev is rewarded when he turns over a treasure chest of military intelligence gained by classic Cold War spycraft, giving Tolkachev the moniker ‘The Billion Dollar Spy” and shifting the balance of influence between East and West.
Billion Dollar Spy has not gone into production due to the pandemic, no word yet on Hammer’s recasting.