Based on the critically acclaimed 1989 Martin Amis novel of the same name, London Fields, the debut film from director Matthew Cullen, has had a problematic path to its theatrical release – and that’s putting it lightly.
As reported by Vulture, the assembly and release of London Fields was troubled from the beginning. After multiple director changes, Cullen finally put the project into production, with Amber Heard playing the prophetic femme fatale Nikola Six. Before its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015, Cullen moved to sue the film’s producers for unauthorized tampering with the film’s footage, ultimately impairing Cullen’s creative vision. Things only got messier when a lawsuit (and a countersuit) broke out between Heard and the producers over Heard’s contractual obligations she made for the film. With all things considered, its almost unbelievable that London Fields now has a theatrical release slated for later this summer.
Alongside Amber Heard, London Fields stars Billy Bob Thornton, Theo James, Cara Delevingne, and Johnny Depp (who was married to Heard during production). Scripter Roberta Hanley adapted the screenplay from Amis’ novel. Lionsgate’s theatrical release has reportedly been reedited and now runs shorter than its previous cuts; the highly precarious project will finally hit theaters this August. Until then, the first NSFW trailer can be seen below, courtesy of Vulture.
