‘Canyons’ Director Paul Schrader ‘Mystified’ By Lindsay Lohan’s ‘Refusal to Support’ Film

The Canyons has all but exited theaters in the U.S., but the drama surrounding the Lindsay Lohan and James Deen erotic thriller is still unfolding. 

Director Paul Schrader has publicly criticized the starlet for failing to promote the film or meet with reporters in the lead-up to its release and at the Venice Film Festival, where Lohan was notably absent. 

FILM REVIEW: The Canyons

“I am mystified and disappointed by LL’s refusal to support The Canyons,” he wrote in a Wednesday Facebook note on the movie’s page. “She repeatedly said she would come to Venice but never did. … She never showed for the photo sessions, including the session for the ad campaign art.”

He added: “I hired her when no one else would. She fought to keep the role when I wanted to fire her for unreliability. She has no other films in the can.”

In addition, Schrader stated that he switched the film’s European debut to Venice instead of Locarno so that Lohan would attend. He also said that the actress dodged press invites for pieces that would’ve promoted the film.

“Richard Brody of the New Yorker wanted too [sic] do a [sic] appreciative profile but somehow she didn’t have time to meet him. Film Comment gave her the cover but she would not give them an interview,” the director wrote. 

The Canyons, written by Bret Easton Ellis, was plagued with reports of an arduous shoot and multiple delays during production.

When Lohan didn’t appear at the Venice Film Festival, Schrader said at the time: “I’ve been hostage, by my own choosing, to a very talented but unpredictable actress.”

Lohan, who had completed a rehab stint in July, later retorted her absence was due to her focus on “my health and well-being.”

The Canyons hit limited release theaters in the U.S. on Aug. 2. It was also released as a video-on-demand title.