Armie Hammer had a prominent acting career gaining wide recognition in The Social Network and a Golden Globe nomination for his role in Call Me By Your Name. But January 2021 changed everything for him when an anonymous Instagram account House of Elfie made allegations about leaked messages Hammer allegedly sent that involved cannibalistic requests. As these rumors led Hammer to drop out of many upcoming projects, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins is the next movie to repeat this controversial trend.
Last January, an anonymous Instagram account House of Elfie claimed that Armie Hammer sent her DMs requesting graphic, sexual activity with hints of cannibalism. The Social Network actor denied the accusations, calling them “bullshit claims.” The controversy towards the acclaimed actor didn’t stop there as sexual assault allegations against Hammer followed, with one woman saying she reportedly suffered violent abuse from Hammer and thought he was going to kill her. Another accuser told Page Six she was reportedly subjected to emotional abuse from the J. Edgar actor and attended a PTSD hospitalization program as a result of the relationship. Following the allegations, Hammer dropped out of many film projects, with his next one being Taika Waititi’s latest movie.
Armie Hammer Was Originally Supposed To Be In Next Goal Wins
One of Armie Hammer’s upcoming movies was Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins based on the true story of the American Samoa national football team trying to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. According to Deadline, Arrested Development’s Will Arnett has replaced Hammer’s role as the team’s executive Alex Magnussen. Whereas Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World had the then-accused Kevin Spacey completely replaced by Christopher Plummer weeks before the movie’s release, Arnett’s new role was instead expanded. Hammer’s role was originally supposed to be just a cameo appearance before Arnett stepped in.
Armie Hammer reportedly had to drop out of the project due to the American actor not being available for reshoots. It’s possible that Hammer’s unavailability could have also arisen from news that came not long after that Hammer completed a rehab program in Orlando, Florida. Sources claimed the actor had been in the facility for nine months and was doing fine, but wanted to leave to return to his family. Fortunately, Arnett was able to successfully reshoot his scenes for the new role.
The Role Getting Recast Is Part Of a Trend Of Armie Hammer’s
Next Goal Wins is just one of the movies that Armie Hammer had to drop out of amongst the personal scandals he went through. He reportedly first left the action rom-com Shotgun Wedding feeling the need to stay with his kids while the allegations occurred, rather than shooting a movie in the Dominican Republic. Hammer’s role as Jennifer Lopez’s leading man Tom Fowler was officially replaced by Josh Duhamel. Then, Hammer dropped out of the Cold War drama Billion Dollar Spy where he would have co-starred with Mads Mikkelsen.
Next in line with Armie Hammer’s projects was the Sean Penn drama Gaslit co-starring Julia Roberts telling the story of the Watergate Scandal. Hammer was set to play White House counsel member John Dean conflicted about lying to protect the president. The role was replaced by Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens with reasons apparently having nothing to do with Hammer's cannibal text allegation scandals. It was due to scheduling conflicts to be a leading man in the Paramount+ series The Offer which Hammer no longer became a part of either. The final project no longer starring the On the Basis of Sex actor was the Broadway show The Minutes which Hammer said he needed to exit to focus on himself, his health, and be with his family.
Based on the trailer for Next Goal Wins, the American Samoa national football team was considered one of the weakest football teams out there. In order to recover from the brutal 2001 FIFA match, a new coach, played by Michael Fassbender, plans to get this team into top shape for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This may be one of the many projects of Armie Hammer’s absence, but the comedy stylings of Will Arnett should help audiences enjoy themselves watching the biographical sports dramedy. You can watch this 2023 movie release in theaters on November 17th.
