Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut The Deb is now set to close the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) despite the initial festival slot sparking a dispute between the actor and the film’s producers.
It is unclear what changed in the last few days after Wilson publicly accused the producers of blocking the film’s premiere at TIFF, as well as other accusations of “bad behaviour”, via an extraordinary Instagram post before the film’s release.
Those statements prompted the producers to sue Wilson for defamation in the Los Angeles Superior Court.
However, TIFF has now announced that the The Deb will close the festival on September 15. Meanwhile, David Gordon Green’s Nutcrackers, starring Ben Stiller, will open the festival September 5.
“This year’s festival is shaping up to be a star-studded event with highly anticipated films that reflect the world around us with humour and empathy, like our opening and closing night selections, Nutcrackers and The Deb,” said TIFF chief programming officer Anita Lee.
“TIFF aims to showcase both returning and first-time directors to the Festival on a big stage, and we are excited for fans to experience these two films — and the many diverse works premiering in between.”
The Deb, is an original musical comedy about two teenage cousins who dig deep to find self-acceptance and a date to the Debutante Ball in a small country town in Australia.
The film will be sold by WME at the festival.