Gawker: defamer, rowan woods

EXCLUSIVE: Dakota Fanning's 'Diva' Director Sets the Record Straight

Kyle Buchanan — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:30:44 EDT

As a 14-year-old transitioning to more grown-up roles, child star Dakota Fanning has an important choice to make: Does she want to be a Jodie Foster or a Lindsay Lohan? (Also, lesbian leanings in former child actresses: discuss) We've always pulled for the precocious Fanning, so you can imagine how we felt yesterday when we discovered that Rowan Woods, the director of Dakota's upcoming Winged Creatures, had called out the actress as a tantrum-throwing "diva" whose performance in the film turned out to be a "disaster" that necessitated some judicious editing. Today, Woods got in touch with us to present his side of the story:

I directed Dakota Fanning in WINGED CREATURES.

I am very upset and disappointed on behalf of Dakota that such untruths have spun around the internet in regards to Dakota and WINGED CREATURES and that those opinions be attributed to me. They are not my opinions.

My only WINGED CREATURES interview since completing the movie was this one...

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=642285

Dakota Fanning is an incredible actor and a wonderful person. She is brilliant as Anne in WINGED CREATURES. The climactic scene of the movie is the most difficult scene and she hits it out of the park.

My only advice for people that read such things is: watch the movie, judge for yourself. I am proud to be associated with Dakota's amazing performance.

Cheers,
Rowan Woods

Duly noted, though we think it's important to note that the original article sprung not from an interview granted by Woods but from remarks he supposedly made while speaking at the Australian Directors Guild conference in Sydney. We'd prefer a little more clarification from Woods on that issue, but until it comes, we suppose it's okay to unbury our I Am Sam DVD (not Cat in the Hat, though — that one can stay six feet under).

[Photo Credit: AP]

Previously: Dakota Fanning A Diva From Hell, Claims Her Latest Director

Dakota Fanning A Diva From Hell, Claims Her Latest Director

Kyle Buchanan — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:40:46 EDT

The rollout of Dakota Fanning 2.0 had been going so well (aside from one rapey speedbump): first, the 14-year-old actress made a series of glamorous appearances to support her new movie, The Secret Life of Bees, then she had even Oprah eating out of the palm of her hand with a few simple giggles and a glimpse of her attempt at a normal, cheerleading life. Was Fanning poised to be that rare child star who made the transition to serious actress with a minimum of fuss? Not so much! says Rowan Woods, the director of Fanning's upcoming film Winged Creatures, who just gave an interview branding the young star as a "diva" whose scenes he had to cut:

Woods said his high profile cast was a pleasure to work with except for teenage starlet Dakota Fanning, who could be a diva on the set.

She initially refused to come out of her trailer on day one of shooting because her scene wasn't filmed first, and was "intensely jealous" of her young co-star Josh Hutcherson.

"Everyone was on their best behaviour on this film because they have got a `really serious Australian director who is known for his ensemble work'," Woods laughed.

"(Fanning) was the only one who was naughty."

Woods said while he thinks Fanning is a fine actor, on this film she didn't hit the mark.

"She is a gorgeous girl ... but she was the disaster," he said.

"There was something about her presence that wasn't ringing true.

"Most of our work was cutting her scenes and a lot of her scenes were cut."

Say it ain't so, Dakota! Has our little girl gone from shrieking about imminent alien arrival to screaming about a Starbucks half-caf that wasn't prepared properly? We've always admired Fanning's near-Method dedication to her craft, but if she's determined to plunge herself into the role of a demanding Hollywood diva, it might be time to send Dakota Fanning 2.0 back to the shop for repairs.

Movie company deems actor as 'ugly, black and unbankable' [LiveNews]