Universal and Illumination drop Louis from 'The Secret Life of Pets 2', while the company which supposedly distributed the comedian's 'I Love You, Daddy', The Orchard, canceled the film's release.
- Nov 11, 2017
AceShowbiz - Comedian/actor Louis C.K. is facing his downfall. Many companies decided to part ways with the comedian, and now Universal and Illumination Animation have also chosen to distance themselves in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against him. The studios made a decision to drop Louis from "The Secret Life of Pets 2". In a statement, the studios said, "Universal Pictures and Illumination have terminated their relationship with Louis C.K. on 'The Secret Life of Pets 2'." The statement was released on Friday afternoon, November 10 and the studios did not elaborate.
Louis lent his voice to the lead character of "The Secret Life of Pets", a Jack Russell terrier called Max. The animated film was a massive success, grossing $875 million worldwide. It also featured the voices of Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper Lake Bell, Bobby Moynihan, Albert Brooks and Kevin Hart. The sequel to the film is set for a June 7, 2019 U.S. release date, and the studios will have to move forward with a new actor to voice Max.
Meanwhile, on Friday morning, the supposed distributor of Louis' film "I Love You, Daddy", The Orchard, released a statement which read, "The Orchard will not be moving forward with the release of 'I Love You, Daddy'." Originally, Louis' film was set to open on November 17 in limited theaters, but the release was abruptly canceled.
In addition, Netflix canceled their plans for another stand-up special with the Emmy-winning comedian. In a statement, the streaming giant said, "The allegations made by several women in The New York Times about Louis C.K.'s behavior are disturbing. Louis' unprofessional and inappropriate behavior with female colleagues has led us to decide not to produce a second stand-up special, as had been planned."
Previously, Louis was dropped by APA, 3 Arts and his publicist, Lewis Kay. HBO, FX Networks and FX Productions severed ties with the comedian and terminated deals with his production company, Pig Newton. FX said, "He will no longer serve as executive producer or receive compensation on any of the four shows we were producing with him - 'Better Things', 'Baskets', 'One Mississippi' and 'The Cops'."
