Woody Allen Renames Upcoming Film 'Nero Fiddled'

This past summer, Woody Allen enjoyed the unexpected success of his film Midnight in Paris, which has been going strong in arthouses since May with over $100m earned worldwide. He also shot a new film in Rome, and for quite some time he was planning to call the movie Bop Decameron. There's a lot to like about that title — it's very Woody Allen, and even a good bit more jaunty than most of his titles. But it isn't the sort of title that will keep a movie on screens for six months. Midnight in Paris sounds romantic and enticing. Bop Decameron sounds like... well, I imagine Woody realized a lot of people might not know what it sounds like.

So the film is now called Nero Fiddled. Not as jaunty or romantic, but at least people will know what he's talking about. I hope.

The picture features Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page. This movie also features Allen's return to acting for the first time since Scoop in 2006, and is an outright comedy, not quite the romance that was Midnight in Paris.

Anne Thompson passes on word from the director,

I couldn't believe how few people had heard of The Decameron even in Rome. And the few that did assumed the movie was based on Boccaccio's tales which it's not.

Anne also notes that this is the second time Woody has changed a title late in the game. The other one was originally Anhedonia, and became Annie Hall. I think you've probably heard of that one?